Rise and Fall
by wellknownintrovert
Summary: A story on the fall of the Soviet Union and the independence of the Baltic States (Hetalia style). From points of view of Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Russia and a few other characters. It references history a lot and how the countries deal with actions Russia brought against them. I don't own hetalia btw! Read for a (hopefully) good Baltic and Russia story :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! First fan fiction ever so don't hit me. THIS IS NOT A ABUSE/RAPE STORY. I do not write those. This is a Hetalia story centered around the independence of the Baltic States and the corruption of the Soviet Union. It deals with real history and not just pairing. I will put all my historical references down at the bottom. Thanks so much! Read on!**

Lithuania sighed as he finished cleaning the last of many windows. He stared outside and watched snowflakes fall in a steady rhythm. Snow had always been a wonderful aspect to Toris, however, that was before he moved to Mr. Russia's house. It had become so familiar to Toris that the plain white landscape was now dull and boring. Plus, it was cold almost all the time and the Baltic missed his familiar scent of humid air every once in a while. How much he wished to visit his people again…

_No… _Lithuania shook his head. _I will not depress myself when there is a lot to get done before dinner! _A small smile came onto his face that relaxed the rest of his body. Gathering the rag into a wad, Toris stepped down from a chair he had been standing on. Russia's house was quite big, and Lithuania never understood how Russia had been able to manage the home when he used to live by himself. The house mostly contained large rooms filled with red and gold carpets and curtains; smooth wooden floors; and navy blue walls. Though most would think Russia's house would be dark, grandiose lights hung all around the place that illuminated the rooms. Victory trophies lined the walls of the long hallways that Mr. Russia picked up from his battles. That was the one thing Lithuania couldn't stand to look at. Deaths racked those trophies.

Toris began his descent to the kitchen, which was on the first floor. Dinner was always his responsibility, and he found cooking to be one of his best stress relievers. Although Lithuania had _much _different food interests then the things Russia asked him to make.

"_EEEeeeek!"_

A squeal rang out from the kitchen area, accompanied by a soft crash of something hard on the title.

Lithuania picked up his pace and quickly stepped down the large staircase.

"Latvia! You a-are the clumsiest person to walk this planet!"

Toris walked into the kitchen, where he found Estonia scolding Latvia, who was currently trying his hardest to pick up pieces of a now broken teacup. Estonia turned and sighed grumpily when he saw Toris.

"Can you tell this _lollpea _that he needs to be more careful?" Estonia fumed.

Ravis shakily looked up from gathering the pieces into his hand.

"Lithuania! P-please don't b-be mad! I d-didn't mean to!" Latvia cried, running expressively over to his older brother with the porcelain still in hand.

The younger Baltic pulled him in a hard hug and cried into his stomach. Lithuania patted his head and gave Ravis a comforting smile.

"You should be more careful, Latvia, you are going to cut yourself up if you keep holding those pieces," Lithuania soothed, "Just wrap them up and throw them away, _taip? _We aren't mad at you, right Estonia?"

Toris gave Estonia a raised eyebrow and waited for an answer.

"Fine, yes," Estonia huffed and folded his arms, "Just tell him we don't want to deal with him— Ah hah ha oh my!"

The atmosphere in the room seemed to dim down a few degrees. The Baltic's knew this sensation all too well. It meant he was here.

Russia towered over Estonia, even though Estonia was the tallest of the trio. His white hair was shaken like fresh powered snow on his head, and he wore a deadly smile that was half covered by his cream colored scarf that he adored. The matching coat was still on him from his trip from outside, and Lithuania thought worriedly on the idea that neither Lithuania nor Estonia had heard him reenter the large mansion. Ravis, of course, didn't count because he was a big enough ditz that he would never realize if Russia were standing right in front of his face.

"M-m-mr. Russia sir!" Estonia sputtered out and plastered on a fake smile. Toris watched grimly as Estonia jumped when the larger man put a hand on his shoulder.

Lithuania felt Ravis hold onto his waist even more.

"You guys look so cute together! All the brothers talking to each other! But there is work to be done before dinner, da? That is when we may talk!" Russia piped.

Everyone knew that the last two sentences were not suggestions, but orders they had to follow.

"Y-yes Mr. Russia, I-I will go and prepare th-the laundry!" Estonia confirmed quickly, taking his leave before Russia could protest.

_Damn that Estonia is quick! _Lithuania cursed inwardly.

"And you Ravis? You will be attending to the cups and their cleaning, da? Maybe the scraping the outside sidewalk will correct that mishap?" Russia pointed to the broken cup in Ravis's hand, not caring that Estonia took his leave.

"I-I-I um, y-yes Mr. Russia?" Latvia squeaked, and jumped away from Lithuania, "D-does that mean you _want _me to scrape the sidewalk or a-are you wanting me to clean the cups o-o-or—"

"_Latvia, _just follow orders, da?" Russia snapped, clearly irritated.

_Ravis, why do you do these things? _Toris groaned internally.

Latvia jumped at his words and hurriedly nodded. He turned to leave as quickly as he could, but Russia bellowed;

"The _teacup _Latvia!"

"Yes s-sir!"

Lithuania tried not to screw up his face in annoyance when Latvia came stumbling back to dump the chipped cup into the garbage. Ravis sent Toris a guilty look before scurrying out of the room and down the hall.

"Lithuania, you will follow me, da?" Russia ordered, a slight trace of annoyance in his voice. The eldest Baltic hoped the irritation in his voice was reminisce of Ravis's mishap and wasn't directed towards him.

Toris gulped, but gave a quick, "Of course, Mr. Russia."

Lithuania knew that going with Russia to his upstairs office was one of two things; One, he was in trouble and was going inside to get an assignment, _or _Two, Russia was going to have the talk.

Toris decided either was bad, but the second option was at least slightly better, if not entirely awkward.

Lithuania had to advance up the stairs after Russia to catch up with his impressively long strides. _How does he walk so damn fast? _Over the years, Toris had decided that after Mongolia's rule over Russia, the man had taken steroids to become powerful in such a short amount of time.

"We go in, da?"

"Da,"

Lithuania held the door open for Russia, and quickly followed him in afterwards.

"Would you shut the door, Litva?"

Lithuania cringed. The familiarities had begun. Russia almost never called him anything other than his country name in from of anyone else. The country had seemed to take the liking of names like "Litva" and "Liet" when they were alone, which somewhat bothered Toris.

Also, the door needed to be shut. Whatever Russia had in store was private to only him and Lithuania's ears.

Toris sucked in a breath and gave a quick nod before shutting the door closed. After he heard a soft _click, _he turned to face Russia, who was already sitting behind his elegant desk. A hand beckoned for Lithuania to sit in the chair opposite to him. Toris reluctantly obliged.

"What is it that you'd like to talk about, Mr. Russia?" the Baltic began timidly.

The Russian sighed heavily and stretched his arms over his head. Slowly he took off his black gloves and laid them on the table in a neat pile before stripping down to his undershirt.

"You may call me Ivan here, Litva." Russia corrected as he swung the coat over the back of his chair.

Lithuania quickly shut his eyes tightly.

"Y-yes, Ivan."

"Liet, have I talked to you about my other house?"

Lithuania frowned.

"No… I don't remember you speaking too much of the other house."

"Well Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia live with me there. They have recently… declared they want to leave the family."

Lithuania's mouth fell open. _The Soviet Union… is crumbling? He's beginning to lose the southern house? _Toris began to feel the sense of dread and hope churning in his chest. He knew Azerbaijan a little bit, but he didn't realize the countries had wanted to leave _this _soon. _I-is it possible to leave?_

"S-sir? You mean they want to leave the Soviet Union?" Lithuania couldn't help the twinge of excitement in his voice. Russia glared at joy that had accidently seeped into his voice, so Toris quickly regained composure.

"Da… I don't understand why… I just want to be friends with the other countries and make them become one." Russia sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair, "It has taken a great toll on me. I'm tired, Litva, it seems like I'm tired all the time now a days. Why do they want to leave? Why do they not like me?"

Lithuania swallowed dryly. _Because they want independence. Because they want freedom. Because they want to govern their own economies and not slave away all day for you. Because they don't want to live in fear every day. Like me. And the rest of us._

Toris blinked back into reality when he found Russia was intently staring at him for an answer.

"Well," Toris thought deeply for an answer that wouldn't upset the other country, "Independence is a strong thing. It runs deep inside a country, and it is hardest to understand when you have your own…"

Russia slammed a fist on the desk, making Toris jump.

"But _I _know that feeling! When I was taken over by Mongolia…" Russia's voice lowered to a murmur. His fist slowly loosened and was brought up to his neck, where Russia rubbed as if to soothe himself. "But I was nothing like Mongolia, he was rude and hurtful…. I am good to the Baltics, da?"

Lithuania swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat.

"O-of course, Mr. Russia—"

"_Ivan," _Russia corrected in a growl.

"Ah, yes, um, I-Ivan."

The human name just sounded weird for Lithuania to speak, since Russia had never referred to him as "Toris".

Russia let his hands slip behind his neck as he rested his head.

_He's worried we are going to leave him._

"I don't want to be alone again, Litva," Russia whispered, his earlier strong façade dropping momentarily, "I don't want to see my family leave,"

"Ivan, even if the other countries want their independence, it doesn't mean that they don't like you. They just want to be your friends, your partners, not your sla—" Lithuania stopped himself, "_underlings. _Th-they don't hate you."

Toris had to stop. _I always stutter when I lie._

Ivan looked into Toris's eyes; his amethyst hitting deep blue.

"_You guys _won't leave me, right?" Russia asked in a whisper.

Lithuania felt his cheeks flush and his palms begin to get slippery. Blinking back an uncertain answer, Toris wetted his lips before giving Russia a smile.

"We are with you now, and that's what matters, da?"

Russia kept looking at Toris, as if he was trying to seek the truth behind his smile. _I didn't lie. I just avoided the question. _Lithuania thought.

Russia gave a smile back and straightened his back in a childish demeanor.

"Da! _Spasibo _Litva," Ivan exclaimed happily, clapping his large hands together, "You make dinner now, da?"

Lithuania nodded and got up to leave. _Just let me leave, just let me leave, just let me lea—_

Russia's hand smacked down on Litva's shoulder and shook him in a friendly way, though Ivan's grip was a little too rough to Toris's liking. He turned the smaller man towards him and gave a quick whisper in the ear;

"We tell no one of our talk,"

Lithuania had no struggle nodding.

**Alright! This is my first fan fiction ever! :O But I tried, because I've had this idea for a week now and wanted to write it… so that is what I'm doing!**

**Spasibo: Thank you (Russian)**

**Da: Yes (hope you know it's Russian)**

**Lollpea: dumbass (Estonian)**

**Taip: Yes (Lithuanian)**

**Names****:**

**Lithuania: Toris, Litva, or Liet**

**Latvia: Ravis**

**Estonia: Eduard**

**Russia: Ivan**

**History Note****:**

**This is around the time of the Soviet Union's fall. Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Baltic States, and other countries were under the possession of the SU and were beginning to seek independence in 1990 until the fall of the SU in 1991.**

**Russia mentions Mongolia briefly: let's just say Mongolians were not too nice to Russia way back when**

**Again thanks for reading and I do plan on writing/posting more, so any feedback would be awesome! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two :D Latvia's POV. Also, again, all the historical info will be in bold at the bottom ! Thanks again for reading/reviewing! Thanks to Comedy Monarchy for your interesting info and review :)**

Latvia stood in the entrance hallway and cleaned Russia's extensive collection of beautiful plates, teacups, and dishes. The large cabinet displaying the content loomed over Ravis, so he had to use a chair to reach the highest, and largest bowl. It was a piece of art. Beautiful designs of animals of the Chinese zodiac laced the outer edge and expressed Chinese characters on the inside. Russia had labeled this bowl one of his prized possessions, since it distinguished him and China's friendship.

Why Mr. Russia allowed _Ravis _to clean such a delicate object was one of the world's many mysteries.

Footsteps echoed from the upstairs hallway and began to descend the steps to the first floor. Heavy snow boots yet to be taken off slammed onto the wood and made the cabinet, and its contents, shake.

_Mr. Russia is coming down! _Latvia thought, and his thin frame began to shake with the glass. _Stop shaking, you don't want to drop Mr. Russia's prized bowl! _Ravis tightened his hands around the bowl in an attempt to keep it from falling out of his quaking hands. _Put it back, put it back you dummy! _Going onto his tippy-toes, Ravis pushed the unclean bowl back in the cabinet. His fingers dropped the bowl a little too hard, and the old cabinet teetered to the side.

_No, no, no! _Latvia moaned in his head. The cabinet had been leaning slightly ever since Ravis had accidently chipped the supporting leg with his broom. Age and Ravis's desperation to keep the incident a secret was making the cabinet tip precariously.

The footsteps dawned closer, until Ravis could see Russia and…Lithuania? _Why was he with Mr. Russia?_ The thought couldn't bypass the presence of his caretaker, so Latvia quickly held the cabinet in trembling hand.

"You are to make dinner now, right Lithuania?" Mr. Russia ordered in the scarily pleasant tone Latvia knew all too well.

Lithuania gave the quickest of glances at Ravis and sent a tiny smile that sent the message _I'm ok. _The other Baltic nodded a quick and terrified nod as if to say _Good. _But that wasn't what Latvia was worried about at the moment. Russia was in the room, and Latvia _hated _being around the huge country. He always seemed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and then he would get punished by not being allowed to eat, or to stand outside in the freezing temperature with whatever he was currently wearing for thirty minutes to an hour. One time, all the little nation had on were his shorts and no shoes and Latvia had learned to never talk about America in a positive way around Russia.

Latvia faintly noticed the disappearance of his eldest brother. _Huh? Where did Toris go— _

"Ah, Latvia!" Russia boomed, causing Ravis to stumble on top of the chair, "I see you have cleaned up the cups, da? Didn't break any more of my things, did you?"

Ravis blinked fearfully and slowly brought his hands away from the cabinet. The large furniture slowly rested in its italicized manor, but didn't fall.

"Ah, yes Mr. Russia sir. I-I-I mean no, I m-mean yes, I cleaned your dishware, but no, I d-didn't b-b-break anymore c-cups!" Latvia squeaked unintelligently.

Russia beamed up at Ravis. Well, didn't beam _up _since Ravis was at Russia's height from standing on the chair. Latvia jolted in surprise when the man started to laugh— the noise rattling the china and porcelain.

"Latvia is such a stuttering little guy. Latvia is like a little branch in a blizzard," Russia mused, stepping towards the frightened country, "You agree?"

Latvia shrunk in on himself.

"Yes?"

"Latvia is a twig~ Latvia is a twig~ And Russia is the great blizzard~" the man sung like a child, "And he will go WHOOSH!"

Russia then proceeded to pretend to jump at Latvia in the loudest, and scariest way he could. The childish gleam in those amethyst eyes made Ravis shriek and fall off the chair; putting his hands over his head as if to protect himself. The Russian laughed even harder than before, but Ravis was _not _amused. The man terrified Latvia to an extent that he would quake in terror whenever he was around.

A large hand pulled the small country to his feet.

"M-m-mr. Russia!" Latvia yelped.

Russia spun Ravis around so their eyes looked into one another.

"You should go polish shoes now, no? And come when I call you for dinner. Lithuania is making some _pirozhki _and _julienne _tonight, so have all the shoes done on time!" Russia chirped and gave Ravis a tussle through his hair.

"Y-yes Mr. Russia!" Latvia quickly agreed. He knew that Toris made very good _julienne _and couldn't wait to have some. The warm food almost made his stomach rubble, since it had been a while since his last meal. In Russia's house, the Baltic's ate three times a day, no snacks or exceptions. That also meant what ever Russia wanted to make or eat, _they _had to comply. Even if it was Latvia's nightmare…. The dreaded _kholodets. _If he _ever _had to take another bite of that jello hell….

The large hand stilled on his head and began to tighten on the boy's skull. Ravis snapped from his food fantasies and cringed as his head began to pound.

"M-m-mr. R-Russia, that h-hurts!" squealed Ravis. Russia seemed to happy and intent on crushing Latvia's head to notice the discomfort he was bringing.

"You stay in this house, da? You like it here with me and your brothers?" Russia inquired pleasantly, still tightening his grip on the little Batlic's head.

Latvia frowned in thought. Why was Mr. Russia worried if he liked him or not? His tone had gotten more serious than usual… Was something wrong? Ravis didn't or _couldn't _figure it out, not with the man squeezing on his skull like that, but decided that a right answer would have him released.

"Yes s-sir!"

Russia's smile widened and freed his grip.

"_Khorosho! _Now run off!" Russia ordered cheerfully.

Latvia knew Russia enjoyed watching him scamper off. It bugged him that Mr. Russia adored teasing and frightening him whenever he got a chance, but a further discomfort crept into Ravis's mind when he remembered the nagging question.

The Baltic sighed, his head hurting from confusion and pain. _If I don't think about it, my head won't hurt as much. _Ravis decided, and sat on the entry bench to begin cleaning the six pairs of shoes. A mix of melted ice and mud stuck deep on the bottoms of Russia's boots, which made Latvia sigh even more. His hands would be freezing by the time dinner came around.

_Might as well start, it didn't sound like Mr. Russia was going to let me eat until I finished._

Latvia fantasized eating the delicious rolls that Lithuania was undoubtedly preparing at the moment. With a stupid smile on his face, the country began to scrub and pick away the mess.

It was almost thirty minutes later when Ravis had finally completed his task of cleaning the boots. His hands were now cold and covered in mud. The promise of dinner had him going, though. He was determined to eat without anything dropping, spilling, or catching on fire (yes, there had been a certain candlestick accident that resulted in him not eating for an entire day).

The Baltic headed over to the bathroom, where he sprayed warm water to his abused little hands. It took a while to get the dirt out from under his nails, and when he was satisfied, Latvia turned off the water. His purple eyes caught his reflection in the mirror. He hadn't grown in a while. He had Operation Priboi to thank for that. Although the murderous event had affected all of his brothers, Latvia had been hit the hardest.

_Thousands of his people in pain— some shipped off to camps, others killed in front of their families. _

Latvia felt his eyes glisten with tears.

_Russia was there to make the scars. Latvia and his brothers knew this wasn't just deportation._

His hand slowly traced the back of his neck where the scar would lie forever.

_It was genocide._

To him, those days were so close he could still feel it. He tried to suppress the urge to shake, to try and stop stuttering when addressing his superior, but he remembered how horrible that had felt when he had his people ripped from him. His people were terrified, so he, consequently, was terrified. So, his height just stopped and never grew.

_I'll never like living in this house, _Ravis thought, _None of us will. _

"LATVIA! ESTONIA! DINNER IS READY!" came the loud call of Russia.

Ravis instinctively jumped as his mind snapped back to reality. He seemed to do that a lot— the daydreaming becoming the root of his incorrect actions. The simplest things seemed to trigger a good or bad response from Ravis, and he'd go quickly into his imagination to think these things through. Mr. Russia, however, had _not_ liked these little daydreams when Latvia was in the middle of cooking, or when he had been talking.

_Delicious food awaits my home!_

Quickly, the small nation sniffed back unshed tears and straightened his uniform. Ravis brushed off the minor flashback he had experienced, and he walked back briskly to the kitchen where Estonia and Lithuania were already at. Russia had planted himself at the head of the dinner table, with vodka already poured for him to drink.

Latvia watched as Estonia piled his hands up with empty plates and cups as Lithuania brought over the basket of _pirozhki. _

Lithuania gave a beaming smile to Ravis as he returned to grab the _julienne._

"Would you grab some silverware, Latvia? My hands are full," Toris asked politely.

"Of course, big brother."

Latvia almost always loved Lithuania. His presence made him feel safe in the presence of Russia, or even the scolding Estonia. He didn't yell or hit, Lithuania just smiled and made people feel better. Safety was something Ravis treasured dearly, and Lithuania helped bring that feeling back to the Baltics.

Ravis grabbed four forks, fours knives, and four spoons just incase. With them bundled in his hand, Latvia made his way around the table and placed the silverware in their appropriate areas. Ravis couldn't contain a shiver that passed over him when he gave Russia his fork, knife, and spoon. Even Lithuania couldn't stop Latvia's constant shivering and trembling.

With everything situated on the table, the three seated themselves in the normal arrangement: Estonia and Lithuania by Russia, with Ravis besides Estonia.

"This looks delicious! _Spasibo, _Lithuania!" Russia hummed gleefully, clapping his hands softly.

"Of course, sir," Toris smiled tiredly.

"Thanks," Estonia mumbled, grabbing a roll.

"Thanks, Lithuania!" Latvia thanked happily.

Ravis's mouth watered. It _did _look good. And it had been a while since Russia had Lithuania create a larger meal like this. Some nights there were just packaged rations to go around. Latvia was glad it wasn't one of those nights. He hummed brightly and snatched a serving of the mouth-watering food.

Ravis opened his mouth to bite the delectable meal before—

"Latvia," Russia questioned suddenly, "What was that you were humming?

Latvia stopped half way through his bite; his hand shaking slightly.

"I… I'm not s-sure Mr. Russia," Ravis answered timidly, "I j-just felt happy, so I s-started humming and i-it just came to me…"

Russia looked quite concerned on the matter, which Latvia had a hard time understanding.

"Don't hum at the table unless we all know the song, alright little one?" Russia said, his voice beginning to turn assertive.

Ravis froze, his body ridged in fear. _Did I do something wrong? _He looked to Estonia for help, but shook when he was met with a pale, frightened face. His brother looked like he was going to be sick.

"I-I am s-s-sorry Mr. Russia, but I d-don't understand what a little h-humming could d-do—"

"Just listen to him, Latvia," Estonia whispered harshly, taking Ravis aback.

Ravis clamped his mouth shut and looked down at his cooling food. He suddenly didn't have the urge to eat.

_Why did both Estonia and Russia take my humming to such offense? _Latvia thought sullenly, tears starting to well up, _Why can't we have a pleasant dinner? _

A deep rumble of the song began to swell inside Ravis, like his people wanted him to sing. The urge became so tempting and fulfilling that Latvia had to stuff food in his mouth to prevent the rhythm from tumbling out again. The song still played in Latvia's head— distant, but strong as if many sang it. And Latvia so desperately wanted to sing with them.

**Alright! That was chapter two! :D WARNING: I have dwindled a little off the timeline… So although these historical events did happen, they are going to be in a little out of order for this fan fiction. Hopefully, it is not a big deal and won't throw the story completely off the deep end D: **

**Words:**

**pirozhki: Russian buns filled with meat**

**julienne: Mushrooms in sour-cream and bacon casserole (I feel like Ravis would like this dish because it is warm)**

**kholodets: These things are weird. It is basically jello with meat and vegetables in them. I know, strange right?**

**Khorosho: Good! (Russian)**

**Spasibo: Thanks (Russian)**

**History Lesson:**

**Operation Priboi: Now this was sad. It was basically a movement the SU made to deport around 90,000 people all from the Baltic states. In Estonia, almost 20,000 were affected. In Lithuania, around 26,000 people and finally, Latvia was hit hardest with about ****_42,000. _****Damn. It was a really sad time of history. Although it was dubbed dekulakization, many saw the deaths of deportees as an act of genocide. I felt like this would really affect Latvia more than the other Baltic's because it gives him a reason to be afraid of Russia, or insight on what he is capable of. His country is scared, therefore he is scared.**

**Baltic Way: Alright, this was mentioned and will be recognized and portrayed more in the next couple chapters. I wasn't going to have this as a major plot point, but seriously. This is flipping cool. I'm not going to explain it here, and instead, I will explain it when it actually becomes a great plot point. If you really want to know, just look it up. Oh, and this was the historical info that is not going with the timeline, so please pretend this happened after Georgia and the other countries left the SU. D: Oops. **

**Anyways, Thanks again for reading/reviewing, and I can't wait to post more chapters! :D Tell me what you think… Oh and if anyone has tried any of the Russian food, please let me know how they taste! I have been wondering! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 :D Thanks so much for the reviews! They mean a ton to me! Estonia's POV now :)**

Estonia gripped his fork so tight that his knuckles turned white. The atmosphere of the dinner table had taken a deep pit fall into scary silence that put all the Batlics on edge. Estonia felt that even Latvia, no matter how dense the country could be, could sense the eerie and suffocating feeling that was pouring out of Russia. Why? Because Eduard could hear a slow and chanting song in his head.

The same one Ravis had been humming.

Estonia had felt the urge to hum around the same time he had been cleaning laundry. It didn't mean anything to him, since he was a country of good song, but it became an odd realization that he wasn't the only person singing it. He felt as if his country had began murmuring the lyrics within him— a slow sense of freedom crawling up his skin.

But Russia had noticed this too. And that would _never _mean anything good.

Estonia ignored Latvia's persistent stare on him and swallowed deeply. Returning to the food still latched on to his fork, Estonia slowly began to join the meal again. Lithuania's warm cooking didn't help the uneasiness in his stomach.

The silence loomed over the countries for a while, until Latvia cleared his throat and asked a timid,

"So, Mr. R-Russia. What w-w-were you and Lithuania doing t-today?"

Estonia nearly choked on the next bite of food. He knew Latvia was only trying to make conversation, but not _that _kind of conversation!

_Lithuania and Russia did something together today?_ Eduard thought with dreaded intrigue, _Why would he do that?_

Russia and Lithuania seemed as if they were walking on eggshells. Toris's face blanched white and Eduard could see the slight shake in his body. As if it could get any worse, the temperature seemed to fall below to a chilling resolution.

"L-Latvia, whatever do you mean?" Toris asked innocently, "I was just cleaning u-upstairs when we both came down together!"

Lithuania gave a fake smile, trying to hide whatever the truth was. Estonia frowned. He had saw Toris enter Mr. Russia's office when he had gone back to get laundry from the Baltic's room. _What are you trying to hide, Lithuania? _Eduard thought angrily. _Why don't you tell us, hm?_

Estonia knew he couldn't voice his question. He could see that Ravis's comment had already angered Russia.

"O-Oh, but I heard you guys talking—" Latvia began.

Eduard looked up at Lithuania for an answer, but his elder brother didn't meet his eyes and stared intently on his lap.

"_Latvia," _Russia growled, making Estonia wince, "Stop asking questions, da? Or do you _want_ to scrape the sidewalk clear of ice?"

The smaller Baltic began to tremble beside Eduard. Even if he annoyed the crap out of Estonia, Latvia was still his brother and he did not want to see him hurt. In his mind, Estonia pleaded that his younger friend would drop the subject.

"N-n-no Sir! I don't w-want to g-g-go out there," Ravis whimpered.

"Then you will stop, _da?"_

Estonia heard the whisper of "da" back.

The silence settled over the table like a heavy blanket. Scrapes of forks and knives were the only noise that sounded in the dining room. But, Estonia still felt the beat of a song pounding softly inside his head. Was he going crazy?

The meal went on without another peep from any of the Baltics.

0o0o0o0o0o

Estonia sighed as he changed into his nightclothes. The day had been a little more stressful with all commotion between Ravis and Russia. _Why did that lollpea have to be so thickheaded? _Estonia grumbled to himself. _The day had been luckily uneventful until he dropped the stupid teacup!_

Eduard didn't know why he was so frustrated. Usually, his stoic demeanor wouldn't break often unless Russia was _really _mad, in which case everyone with good sense would be trembling. Usually he would just get irritated and then laugh it off, but for some reason, tonight wasn't _anyone's _night.

He didn't want the yelling or the fighting. Putting away Mr. Russia's papers and performing chores around the house didn't bother Estonia, but what he looked forward to every day was when the clock struck 9:30 and the Baltics were allowed to leave for their shared room. While cooking eased his brother Toris, Estonia found books to be his stress reliever. He would read till 10:30, or else he would be too tired at 5:00 in the morning, when the trio was woken up.

Latvia was already curled up in bed, fidgeting in the covers to find the perfect position, while Lithuania was still not back from washing dishes.

_Why am I worrying about that jerk, _Estonia fumed, _when he isn't telling us anything?_

Estonia threw open the book he had started a few days earlier and busied himself with the words. Russia's bookshelf had been a bore, since the Soviet Union had censored most of the fine literature Estonia enjoyed at Mr. Poland's house. Yet, Eduard still found himself reading everything with a cover to keep himself sane.

It took almost five minutes for the Baltic to realize that he had been accidently rereading the same paragraph over and over. Aggravated, he slammed the book shut.

"Eep!" Latvia cried behind him.

Estonia sighed and screwed his face up. How could he forget to calm his anger when the shaky mess of his brother was still in the same room?

"Ah, sorry, Ravis," Estonia breathed, "I didn't mean to frighten you,"

"I-It's alright," came the small reply of Ravis.

"I just— I feel like Lithuania hasn't been honest with us, which is unlike what his personality is. We are brothers, or at least I feel like we are brothers, and we shouldn't be keeping secrets like this— _especially _if we live in a home under control of a maniac. We have to stick together and not distance ourselves, or I don't know what will happen. You know what I mean?"

Estonia turned to Ravis, who was snoring softly from his spot on the bed.

The worry lines that had appeared on Eduard's face slowly diminished as he watched the sleeping boy. The mess of blonde hair covered his closed eyes as he sprawled faced down on the bed. He looked so very young when he slept, and it made Eduard sad that such an innocent country had scars from previous, unforgiving events.

_Latvia, sleep well. _Estonia thought quietly. His gaze turned to the door of their room. _I'll go check on Toris for both of us._

The Baltic Nation stood from sitting on the bed, careful not to move the sleeping boy, and tip-toed over to his dresser. After setting the book down, he quietly moved to the door and gave Latvia a last, silent goodbye. Before the nation could notice, Estonia slipped out the door.

Russia's house at night scared Estonia. The warm lights from day time would turn into shadow makers at night and illuminate only patches of the hallways. The rest would be the dark unknown, and even if Eduard didn't believe in ghosts, he believed in the terrifying wrath of a sleepy Russia. A shiver involuntarily ran down Estonia's spine as he continued through the darkness.

_Brother, where are you? _Estonia thought. _What could you be up to?_

The Baltic paused and listened for the sounds of dishwashing from downstairs. A noise did come from the first floor, but it was the sound of quiet murmuring.

_Was Russia talking to Toris again? _Estonia wondered, a little more frightened than before. _Do I really want to risk being caught if I go any closer?_

Estonia gulped, rubbing his hands together in an anxious gesture, before curiosity got the best of him and he slowly stepped towards the stairs. He crouched down behind the railing of the top step and peered through the wooden bars to see what was going on downstairs.

Toris was at the telephone, whispering loud enough that Estonia could hear. It was completely dark downstairs besides the one light near the door. Eduard could make out Lithuania's outline and his work uniform that was still on.

_Who could you possibly talk to?_

"No—, no. Ugh, _no. _Just, listen, alright?" He heard Lithuania argue.

Estonia scrunched his eyebrows together. Toris never got annoyed with anyone… Unless it was _him._

"Feliks, just let me speak and then I _have _to go," Lithuania snapped silently, Estonia nodding when it was confirmed to be Poland, "Russia told me today that the _red snow has fallen_,"

A silence came over both Lithuania and his watching brother.

'_The red snow has fallen'? _Estonia pondered in confusion, _Does that mean bloodshed? Has someone waged more war?_

"Yes, Polska, I am going to get my brothers together. We are going to become _independent_,"

Estonia's mouth fell wide open.

_Wh-wh-what? Independent? What is h-he talking about?_

That was when Estonia's brain clicked. The singing— it had been his people, Latvia and Lithuania's too, humming for freedom. It was a reach for independence. They were trying to remind the Baltic that they wanted their own government and their own rights. Living with Mr. Russia and getting Soviet rule crammed down his throat had caused Estonia to forget what was truly important. _His people._

"Uh huh. Yes, I know. Things are going to get hard from here on out, so just wait for me, alright? No, no, I don't want you to do that. _Feliks, _don't you _dare. _I know, I know. I will hopefully see you soon, and if not… I know. _Yes, Będę ostrożny."_

Estonia nearly jumped right out of his skin when a pair of legs quietly stepped past his hidden and crouched body. He clamped a hand over his mouth to prevent from screaming as Russia tiptoed down the steps towards Toris. His whole body went numb as the shadowy figure gained on his brother.

Russia disappeared in the darkness, besides the slight reflection of his white hair and silky nightgown. Lithuania seemed to not notice the presence, even though Russia was nearly two meters from him.

"Żegnaj," Toris ended, sighing as he quietly put the phone back. His brother just began to turn when Russia clapped a hand over Lithuania's mouth from behind. Lithuania jolted with so much strength that Russia grabbed his left shoulder in order to prevent him from jumping out of his grasp.

"_Privet, _Lithuania," came the smooth and eerie sound of Russia's voice, that echoed up to Estonia, "Funny that I found you here of all places, talking to Poland,"

Lithuania made a muffled sound through the tight hand.

"Now why would someone so intent on staying in my house want to speak with someone like Poland?"

The iciness in Russia's voice made Estonia tremble.

_I should have never come out. I should have stayed in our room. Oh jumal, I am doomed!_

Did Russia hear Lithuania talk about the independence of the Baltic States?

Russia's nearly invisible hand removed itself from Toris's jaw.

"M-M-Mr. Russia, I just wanted to s-speak with my former friend, aren't we allowed to c-call freely?" Lithuania stuttered.

"Hm, I guess little Lietva is right," Russia admitted in his childish voice, "But now I am going to only permit you speaking to people on the phone when I am with you. Is that understood?"

"Da, sir."

"How is Poland doing, Lithuania? I haven't really spoke to him ever since he left Mother Russia,"

A deafening silence followed.

"He is fine, Mr. Russia," Lithuania managed to whisper.

"Is he still wearing the girly skirts and dresses?"

"Da, Sir," came an even weaker reply.

"He should come to Mother Russia, and then you won't have to worry about his clothes because the cold is not forgiving to short things, da?"

"… Da,"

"Do you need to be reminded of what the cold feels like?" Russia asked, innocent but fully threatening Lithuania. Estonia swallowed deeply.

"N-no sir,"

"Alright then," Russia sighed with content, "Will you tell Latvia the new rule about the phone? I trust you will follow it?

"Uh, yes sir. What about Estonia, Mr. Russia?"

Estonia blinked at his name being brought up.

Russia let out a small chuckle.

"Don't worry, he already knows the rule. Isn't that right, Estonia?"

Estonia felt as if spiders had just crawled up his back. The extremity of the words brought chills to Eduard, and his breath hitched in his throat.

"I asked if it was right, Estonia." Russia growled, his mood changing.

Estonia shot from his crouched positon, his head spinning from getting up too fast.

"Yes sir," He squeaked. The half-digested food in his stomach squeezed uncomfortably.

Eduard couldn't see Lithuania's face, nor did he want to, but he knew some kind of surprise was plastered there. _I'm sorry, brother. _Estonia thought desperately.

"Go back to your room and sleep, I want you two ready for the morning, da?" Russia commanded, and gently shoved Toris towards the staircase.

The two answered a curt "Da".

Estonia's legs barely supported him when he walked weakly and shamefully back to his bedroom. He couldn't even wait for Lithuania to join him. There was only one thought in his mind: _Get out. _He barely had anytime to spare before he collapsed on their bed in fear and shock.

**Dun Dun DUNNNN. So there are a few open things here, which I want you, the readers to try and interpret!**

**1\. What really does the 'red snowing is falling' mean?**

**2\. What was Poland talking about on the other side of the phone?**

**3\. What was Estonia reading about?**

**4\. Why am I asking these nearly pointless questions?**

**5\. Why is Latvia so thickheaded?**

**If you have any speculations…. put them in your review!**

**Notes:**

**Poland: Feliks; Polska (Poland in Polish)**

**lollpea: dumb ass (Estonian)**

**Będę ostrożny**_: _**I'll be careful (Polish)**

**Żegnaj: Goodbye (Polish)**

**Privet: Hello (Russian)**

**Oh jumal: Oh God (Estonian)**

**History Note:**

**Soviet Union Censorship: In the SU, many things were censored for the sake of it 'not being liked by the leaders'. Some authors and news reporters would 'mysteriously' vanish- both in pictures and in their own works. Usually, many books, poems, articles, and pictures were not deemed 'suitable' for the public and were 'removed'… off the face of the Earth (Hmmm…)**

**Poland in Russia: Poland was apart of the Russian Empire way back when, and actually the SU. Russia and Poland have, like, so much history I'm really not going to go into detail, but yep. They had history together. Poland kind of had a jump between being ruled, the commonwealth, independence, Russia, independence, Russia, independence.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again! Thanks for so many awesome reviews/comments you guys have! Let me know if you want me to reply to your comments. I have read them all and treasure them dearly. You guys and the power of history keep me writing!**

The Baltic's room was fairly small in comparison to the other rooms in the mansion. Their room was a simple blue with white lining and forest green curtains. There were three maroon lamps— one on the dresser, one on the coffee table and one in the bathroom— but no fireplace, which was a real bother in cold nights. There always seemed to be a cold draft that drifted through the room, and no matter how hard the three tried, it would never be warm enough. Aside from that, they had the same wooden flooring and blank ceiling like anywhere else in the house.

Lithuania was studying their ceiling intently. He had given up trying to sleep hours ago and found his mind wandering to what would happen when morning came. The images that played over his eyelids weren't far from visual nightmares, so Toris decided he would stay awake and count the little bumps along the ceiling to distract his mind.

_ Keturi šimtai…_

Lithuania stopped counting. He hoped Estonia would be asleep by now, since he knew how hard it was to sleep after an encounter with Russia.

_I wonder how much he heard? _Toris thought, _I was going to tell Estonia later tonight, but I needed to tell my allies outside of the house first for preparation. They need to know the truth. The other nations only care about themselves, and only help when they are benefitted in someway…_

The Baltic sighed and wrung his hands. Would Poland listen to him? The other nation cared about himself most of the time, even if they did have a relationship in the past. Their commonwealth had bullied, tormented, and belittled Lithuania, but it was the most fun he had ever had with another country. Even "Polish Rule" was easy to accept after a while.

Lithuania smiled, thinking of old times. Even America had helped him out and built him up before returning to Russia again. Toris found that the more you spend in the Soviet Union, the more and more independence feels so far away. The 'freedom filled' country of red, white, and blue had reminded Lithuania, even for a short amount of time, what it felt like to be independent.

He missed both Alfred and Feliks. He missed being at world conferences and representing _Lithuania _and not Russia. The countries had pitied him and his brothers, but Lithuania wouldn't have that. He wanted to feel strong like so many years ago. Not as an underling, but as an _equal. _

A soft rumble surfaced his mind.

_The rainy fields are glazed with ice_

_ The earth has turned to glass_

_What if it breaks under the cold and glassy sky?_

Toris blinked, his eyes watering suddenly. The beautiful voice had emerged with such light graciousness it took a moment for him to realize it came from his home, his country.

_This winter morning is as sharp and clear_

_ As broken crystal_

_Piercing the inside of a grasping hand_

The lulling voice sent a wave of relief over Toris's body. The feeling tingled in his fingers and brought tears to his eyes. He had heard this before— when his country was first under rule of Russia.

_Look,_

_ Underneath your skin_

_Blood and desire flow—_

_A cloud of red _

The words seem to echo in Lithuania's head. The words of the poem had brought in painful memories of the past, but it seemed it was meant to be that way. His people wanted him to remember, so he could wish for the future. _His _future. _His people's _future. _His brothers' _future. Toris smiled softly and he quietly wiped the tears from his eyes.

Toris had woken up an hour before the Baltic's usual wake up call. The nation eventually had enough peace of mind to get some sleep, even if it was short, before quickly retreating downstairs to the kitchen. Snow hit the outside window with great force and rattled the windows. Winter had carried through to spring, as usual, and it was dumping the ice and hail all over Russia. The cold seemed to leak into the kitchen, where Lithuania was quietly cleaning.

He knew that starting his chores early may give him free time to possibly talk to Russia. Usually, Lithuania tried to avoid 'the talks' as much as he could, because he found it very awkward to see Russia in a state that wasn't yelling or giving childish gestures. Today was different. He wanted to hear more about what was happening with Georgia and the other countries that were trying to free themselves from the Soviet Union's grasp. He wanted to know if the United Nations were finally realizing the unjustness of Russia's rule. And he wanted to let Russia tell him.

As he cleaned, new songs of potential freedom sounded in his mind. He couldn't help but start scrubbing to the beat or hum parts of the tune. Independence seemed to pour from him— the notion so loud in his ears that it almost felt real.

"Lithuania likes to hum too…"

Toris jolted from the sudden words and turned on his knees to face the arctic country. Russia leaned against the wooden entrance of the kitchen. His arms were crossed and his amethyst eyes stared down at him full of intimidation. Though his presence always made Toris uneasy, today something felt off. _Is it his eyes? _Toris wondered. Deep circles had formed themselves under his tired gaze. The way he leaned against the frame didn't feel like a normal gesture, instead— a lean of support. _He is deteriorating. _Lithuania realized. _The destruction of his Soviet Union is wearing him out._ Toris could almost smile at the irony. The wind seemed to pick up outside and wail against the side of the house. Inside, Lithuania's mindset quickly returned on guard and alert.

"M-Mr. Russia sir," Lithuania stuttered as he brushed back some hair from his face.

The childish gleam that stared back at him made his inside churn, as if this was a game. It was always a game. He controlled the Baltics and the other Soviet nations like puppets at times, and they complied. If they didn't, they all knew he could just as easily cut the strings.

"What were you singing just now, Litva?"

Lithuania swallowed at his nickname and gave a loose smile.

"Nothing, sir,"

Russia rumbled, and at first Lithuania was scared he was "kolkol"ing, but the large man was laughing dangerously.

"What did I say about _lying, _Litva?" He questioned darkly.

"I'm sorry, sir." Lithuania mumbled, twisting the rag in his hands. "But it really is nothing— I won't sing anymore, I will—"

Russia's abrupt laughter cut through the air. Though unsettlingly nice, the laughs couldn't mean anything good in Toris's book.

"So eager to please," Russia mused, earning an appalled blush from Toris, "Sing for me, Liet, sing the song you were just humming. I want to hear it."

A dark tone had settled its way into Ivan's words. Lithuania knew this was apart of his game; act nice and then become cold hearted later. It was like a game of cat and mouse; let the mouse free from the cat's clutches, and just as it feels safe— clamp its claws shut.

Toris didn't want to play. It was too early and he was too tired.

"No, Mr. Russia, I don't th-think you would want me to…"

"I am pretty sure I do," Russia purred. Lithuania couldn't help but shiver.

After a silent pause, Toris finally got to his feet from the ground to face Russia completely. The man was a half a foot taller than he was and even in his sorry state, he was still intimidating.

_Imagine him as tall as you. _A voice suggested in his head. _He is no different than you, he is no different than you… _

Lithuania sucked in a deep breath, and his mind became suddenly blank. His heart beat faster until he could feel the pulses through his body grow stronger and louder. And all at once, a thousand different voice sung on his exhale;

"_Lietuva, Tėvyne mūsu, Tu didvyriu žeme,_

_ Iš prauities Tavo sūnūs, Te striprybę semia" _

Lithuania had lost himself to the song, his mouth moving with out even thinking about it.

_ " Tegul Tavo vaikai eina, Vien takais dorybēs_

_ Tegul dirba Tavo naudai Ir žmoniu gėrybei_

_ Tegul saulė Lietuvoj Tamsumas prašalina"_

His voice got steadier, more defiant, as if he were declaring his independence from Russia just then and there.

_ "Ir šviesa, ir tiesa, Mūs žingsnius telydi_

_ Tengul meilė Lietuvos, Dega mūsu širdyse _

_ Vardan tos, Lietuvos Vienybė težydi!" _

By the time the anthem was finished, Lithuania was panting, his body shaking with emotion that he had bottled up for too many years. Tears slipped without him even realizing it. Looking up to Russia, Toris's heart felt like it was stabbed. The stony eyes staring at him had lost their warmth and were left as cold as the howling snow storm outside. He was no longer leaning on the post, and was proving his height difference over Lithuania. The smaller nation trembled slightly as the man took a huge step forward.

_Don't. _

Toris set his jaw, grinding his teeth together to stop the tears, and flared his nose.

_Don't let him win._

He met Ivan's cold eyes with his own— but they were filled with something more sincere. Determination. Resistance. Rebellion. Those feelings hadn't surfaced Lithuania's usual smiling face since his first rebellions with Poland against Russia.

Ivan stepped closer.

Though his shaking wouldn't stop, his feet were planted on the spot and he stood his ground. Hands curled into fists, Toris _glared _up at the Siberian nation. Nation in question only took another step closer until their bodies were only centimeters apart. The height difference was staggering. Lithuania had to look up to meet Russia's eyes— which were deadly blank. To his brother Latvia, he might have even looked mutual and not angry, but Lithuania knew better. This was a time of fighting, and something was to go wrong.

But, Lithuania knew his people were behind him. They planted him where he stood. They made him not falter or back away from the looming boss.

He felt their voice, so rich and full, that he barely flinched when Russia put his large, gloved hand on Lithuania's shoulder.

"You will come with me, da?"

Lithuania's new spirit almost spoke a blunt, "_Make me", _but the Baltic's memory whispered in the back of his mind.

How Russia was able to squash his people and country into oblivion. How quick the man stole his language, culture, and literature.

He wouldn't let his brothers, his people, or his homeland get hurt; even if it meant he himself would be hurt.

Russia's hold became bone-crushingly firm and he began to steer Lithuania down the hall. Toris held onto the song, trying to keep it in his mind as his interior frame was being broken down. What was he going to do? What was Russia planning? The dread already began to creep up on Toris as Russia turned him to the hallway bathroom.

_Be strong, you have people you love who support you._

Lithuania's fists became so tight it began to hurt more than Russia's grasp.

_Unlike Ivan… _

"You will repeat after me; 'The Soviet Union is my home'. You will say this until I stop you," Russia commanded.

The mirror facing them displayed the horrible humiliation. Toris compared his own tired eyes to Ivan's and really couldn't see the difference. Russia was tiring from loss, and Lithuania was tiring from Russia's rule. They affected each other so much that it hurt.

The small _whack _on the back Toris's head sent a bitter, "The Soviet Union is my home."

"Again."

Lithuania squeezed his eyes shut, aware Russia was watching his every move, and willed the anthem to begin again in his head.

"The Soviet Union—" _Lithuania, o-our homeland. "_is my home."

_Land of heroes!_

"Again."

"The S-Soviet Union—" _Let your sons draw their strength "_is my home." _From our p-past experience. _

Toris swallowed thickly. Russia's hand had begun to bruise his shoulder.

_ Let your children always follow, o-only roads of virtue. _

"Again, Litva."

And Toris repeated the line.

Again.

And again.

Again until his throat was raw from rehearsing the line. Each time, he felt his voice get smaller and less assertive, and though he _knew _what Russia was playing, a voice still spoke in the back of his mind.

_He is bigger. He is stronger. He has connections. What do you have that could possibly show dominance over… Mother Russia?_

Russia's inner and outer voice got so loud that Toris couldn't stand to look into the mirror. He could feel his weaknesses and insecurities being looked at every angle by Russia, and he wouldn't will himself to watch it happen.

"The Soviet Union is my home," Lithuania said not even over a whisper.

The grip that had indefinitely left bruising on Toris 's shoulder finally removed itself and patted Lithuania's head gingerly. The innocent smile wove itself back onto Russia's face.

"We are a family. We are happy together, and I will not let this separation hurt you or your brothers," Russia insisted, "I am sorry you had to stand for so long, but I just wanted to make sure that you are apart of this family and I will not let you get hurt by following the others. They will be sad without a family, and I don't want my friends to be sad."

Lithuania held his breath at the mention of family. Tears instantly surfaced, so he hurriedly looked down. _Family? _He thought sadly. _How can you say such things when all you do is take and never give? How can you say you don't want us to get hurt if all you do is hurt us? Not physically, but emotionally! _

"It is almost time for your brothers to get up. Would you start breakfast? _Blini_ sounds appetizing this morning…"

The Russian's tone had changed from creepy to lively in the blink of an eye.

"Yes, sir," he responded quietly, his mind still hooked on the events that happened not even five minutes ago.

Russia patted Toris once more before sighing and giving a large smile.

"I would like to eat together, even if my papers are with me, since we are a family!"

Ivan left, but left his cold aura with Lithuania.

_Russia, how can we ever be a family if all we want is to be anything but that?_

**History Notes:**

**The Baltic's room: based loosely off of the country's flag colors**

**The poem: ****_Etude in Glass _****by M.G. Slavenas (Lithuania poem from a collection of poems I thought were absolutely beautiful. **

**Song Toris sang to Russia: National Lithuanian Anthem. You can find the lyrics here: youtube+ **/watch?v=ueCRuDc84FY

**Poland-Lithuania under Imperial Russia:following the commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania, the two were under Imperial Russia and their strict rule. Many Polish and Lithuanian revolts were made, that only caused more authority to be placed over them. **

**Russification: Lithuania's language and books with its language were banned in the 1860's in junior high. Lithuanian's were able to rebel by transferring books illegally with Prussia (interesting relation, right?) Revolts enable the Russians to completely shut down the Lithuanian printing press and educational institutions. Lithuanian wasn't even considered a language anymore. :( **

**Song at end: Lithuanian National Anthem (only parts of it) in English**

**Words**

**Keturi šimtai: Four hundred (Lithuanian) **

**Bilini: Russian pancake/crêpe **

**Side Note/Update**

**Thank you so much for reading! I love writing this story, but I have been swamped with homework this week so I wasn't able to post until today! I feel like this chapter could have more detail about Toris's inner feelings, so I may come back and edit later. It's late where I live and I have a cross country meet tomorrow so bare with grammar issues and so forth. **

**Reviews are always welcome! ****Challenge: state your home country and your favorite food to try from there!**** I always like doing something new! I will start with: America, and since almost everything here is borrowed from another country, I will say my favorite dish is Lobster Bisque (this stuff is sooo good, but expensive)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Sorry it has been so long. I had an AP European History test and it COMPLETELY scared me. But, there were parts that I already knew from Hetalia. You'd never think that would work, right? Anyway, hope you enjoy! POV's of Latvia and Estonia.**

Ravis was never good at waking up. The covers of his bed seemed even heavier today, and getting up seemed like a formidable task. Why should he get up, when the comforters were warm while the rest of Russia's house was cold as ice? Why should he stop sleeping, when that was a time he wasn't yelled at? No, sleep sounded as nice as life could get…

"_Ravis, _I will not ask you another time to _get up!"_

"Ugh," Ravis moaned, squishing his face into the white pillow. Who was that? It was annoying and demanding...

"_Armastuse jumal!_ You give me no choice,"

A pair of hands grabbed Latvia from behind and jolted the collar of his pajama shirt. A yelp erupted from Ravis as his Estonian brother dragged him out from under the covers and onto the floor. He hit with a large _thump_ just before bouncing to his feet. Upon seeing his amused brother in crime, Latvia scowled.

"I knew it was you, it is always you," Latvia muttered though his initial sleepiness, "_Ravis _this and _Latvia _that. You are like Russia sometimes."

Estonia blanched at the crude statement. Quickly, his face turned from bemused to angry within seconds. The Baltic strode over to Latvia, who stumbled back in shock to his brother's drastic change in demeanor, before the same hands grabbed Ravis's shoulders firmly.

"Do _not _call me that," Estonia spat, shaking his head in disgust, "I am _nothing _like that… _Monster. _How can you say that?"

Eduard glared, earning frightened, wordless shaking from Ravis.

"I-I-I-I…" Latvia tried, but his words got latched inside his throat.

Eduard pushed the smaller country away and sighed, "Just get dressed, alright? Mu Jumal!"

Without waiting for Latvia to answer, Estonia barged out the door and shut the door with a _bang— causing_ the Latvian to jump in fright.

_What was with him? _Latvia thought, distressed, _I was just annoyed he woke me up so abruptly… He didn't have to snap._

Ravis slowed walked to his section of the dresser to retrieve his red uniform. His fingers shook slightly as he buttoned his shirt. _I don't want my brothers to ignore me… or hate me! But Eduard, what you just did reminded me of Russia…_

Latvia shook his head in disagreement, with himself.

_No, Estonia would never become like Russia, would he? _Ravis thought back to when he broke the teacup. Both Russia and Estonia had been mad at him, hadn't they? Dark thoughts began to creep up on Latvia. _D-does Estonia think of me like Russia thinks of me?_

Guilt twisted knots in his stomach as he tied the shoelaces on his black boots. The last loop wouldn't form because Ravis was shaking too hard.

_He doesn't hate me, does he?_

Latvia got to his feet, absent-mindedly tugging his clothes straight before walking sullenly to the door. The hallway didn't welcome him and instead made him shiver through his depressing mantra. Even if his brother's disheartening conversation had snapped him awake, sleepiness began to set in again as he tiptoed down the steps. He lightly skipped the fourth step down, since he knew its squeaks had woken Russia up before. Ravis shivered, and not because of the cold.

One thing that always made Latvia perk up was the smell of Lithuania's cooking. Not including the days of food rations, Lithuania's breakfast always brought warmth and liveliness to Ravis. His happy thoughts were interrupted when he remembered he'd have to face Estonia, who was still probably mad at him.

_Great. _Pouted Latvia. _Another day ruined._

The Baltic peeked into the kitchen, and he watched Toris flip bilini at the stove and Eduard preparing tea beside them. They were in low, murmuring conversation, too silent for Ravis to hear.

Latvia's lower lip quivered._ Maybe Estonia is telling Lithuania how I disrespected him! Now both my brothers are going to hate me!_

Ravis recoiled from the light of the kitchen and backed away to dim-lighted hallway. Quickly, the small country walked to the bathroom— where he locked the door and slid down to the ground. Though he was over reacting about the whole ordeal, Latvia still truly believed his big brother loathed him. Sniffing back tears, Ravis played with the hem of his coat and opened his mouth to sing softly.

"Three brothers stand by the coast of the sea, they are pressed by weakness and tiredness, their lands, their spirit, their honor, and their sense of three nations are crushed… But in towers, the bells of destiny toll, and the sea starts to wave."

Ravis heard heavy footsteps clunk outside the bathroom and immediately quit singing. Scurrying to the cabinet below the sink on his knees, Ravis fumbled with the handle until he eventually threw it open and grabbed a clean rag. _The lock! _In a desperate reach, Latvia unlocked the door and immediately began scrubbing the floor.

He only stopped after he was sure the footsteps had passed and continued with his mind still on hyper drive.

0o0o0o0o0o

Estonia stretched and woke up. His arms were tired, his bones felt achy— his whole body just felt exhausted. Everything just felt sore. It must have been because he had been awake all night because of the encounter with Russia. He didn't know exactly what had happened. He still didn't believe that it _did _happen. Lithuania was talking about _freedom. _And he was telling Poland. The notion seemed too unreal to actually happen— could it happen?

And Russia, had he heard what had happened? Had he heard Lithuania tell Poland of such a risky subject? Russia didn't beat them, but there were times he snapped in rage and accidentally shoved a little _too_ hard. Or he accidentally pushed the chair a little _too _hard. Or he was flat out drunk.

But how Lithuania knew about all of this was beyond Estonia. He didn't understand…

Estonia turned and looked to see if Lithuania was awake already. If he was, he wanted to talk to his brother… There were so many things he had to say. So many things he wanted to ask. Like when? Or how? How it was ever going to work? It seemed like Lithuania was determined, so he trusted his friend's judgment. But, as he looked around, he realized that Lithuania wasn't in the room. The only one in there was Ravis, who was fast asleep. His soft snores were a little annoying, but Eduard disregarded it and got out of bed to put his uniform on. Tucking his tie into place, he looked around once more before deciding to walk down the steps. Should he wake up Latvia?

_I'll wake you up in a little while, Ravis. _He thought as he quietly closed the door shut.

He really wanted to talk with Toris.

He continued down the steps, the clock chiming exactly 5:00— the time the Baltics were to wake up— and tiptoed to the kitchen. Lithuania was already in there. He was already doing his morning chores; cleaning the left over pots and pans from last night.

Estonia didn't understand why his brother had woke up so early, maybe it was because of the encounter last night, maybe it was because he had been _caught _by Russia. He remembered Lithuania going back to bed with him, but did he have to wake up early? Did Russia pull him from their bed in the middle of the night? So many questions swirled in Estonia's mind.

Eduard placed himself next to his brother, not saying a word, and helped him wash the dishes. They didn't need to talk, not yet. The silence needed to smooth over before they would start talking. Lithuania seemed to feel the same way. He just smiled at Estonia, but the smile was weak. Eduard wanted to see that smile, that same look of determination he had witnessed yesterday. The same strong voice that could possibly lead them to freedom. But, it was weakened this morning.

"Russia is awake, we can not talk about it now, but I promise you I'll talk to you about it later," Toris whispered quickly, not taking his eyes off of the pot he was scrubbing.

Estonia was taken aback— Russia was already awake? This early? Russia never woke up until 6:30… and the Baltic's usually woke up at 5:00. How could he already be awake? That meant Toris must have woken up even _before _Russia. How did Lithuania know this?

Eduard frowned, but nodded. _There must be a reason. _He thought. He now knew they couldn't talk about the matter is Russia was _awake _and listening. The brothers continued their chores silently.

After thirty minutes, Lithuania asked Estonia to wake Latvia up, since he had to be working if Russia was up and breathing down their necks. He had slept in enough. Eduard complied and tiptoed back up the steps to not wake up Russia— wait. He was already awake. But Estonia still didn't want his boss appearing in front of him when he knew how terrifying Russia could be when sleeping. When was he not frightening? Day or night, afternoon or bedtime— it didn't matter. Russia was _always _scary.

Slipping into their room, Estonia found Ravis to be still sound asleep. _Even after all the time we gave you to sleep in, you still aren't up… _grumbled Eduard. Drool had slipped from Ravis's open mouth and he was snoring, louder than before.

"Latvia," Estonia demanded, throwing open the curtains (although there was barely any light through the clouds), "It's time to wake up,"

The younger country didn't respond and snoozed on.

"_Ravis, _I will not ask you another time to _get up!"_

"Ugh," Ravis moaned from his pillow.

Estonia shook his head in an annoyed manner.

"_Armastuse jumal!_ You give me no choice,"

The older Baltic yanked Latvia from his bed, earning a yelp from Latvia, and dropped him to the ground. Eduard flashed a haughty smirk as his brother, who was currently sulking.

"I knew it was you, it is always you," Latvia muttered to Estonia, "_Ravis _this and _Latvia _that. You are like Russia sometimes."

Eduard's heart stopped for a brief moment in his chest. _Did he just say..? _That was when Estonia got angry. It must have been the pent up anxiety of last night and the uncertainty of the morning, but in all cases, Estonia snapped. He raced over to Latvia, who stumbled back with fear lining his features, before Eduard slammed his hands onto Ravis's shoulders.

"Do _not _call me that," Estonia spat, shaking his head in disgust, "I am _nothing _like that… _Monster. _How can you say that?"

Eduard fumbled with his words, suddenly so _angry _at Latvia. _How could he say that to me?_

Eduard put on his best, icy glare.

"I-I-I-I…" Latvia tried, but Estonia wasn't going to talk to him anymore. He didn't want to be compared to Russia. _No one _was allowed to say that.

"Just get dressed, alright? Mu Jumal!"

Estonia shook his head angrily and pushed his brother away from him. Without waiting another moment, the Baltic barged out the door and slammed it behind him. He didn't even _care _if Russia heard him.

_Maybe I should just punish myself and take everyone's free will since I'm SO like Russia! Heck I should just rename all of my rulers' czars from now on! _Estonia fumed sarcastically, trotting down the steps at such a noise level that would've bothered Eduard if he were in the right state of mind.

"Estonia, are you alright?"

Lithuania's voice woke Estonia's mind to attention.

"_Lihtsalt fantastiline." _Estonia muttered angrily, picking up a rag and rubbing it furiously against the countertop.

_I am nothing like Russia. We don't even look the same. How could—_

"Estonia, what is wrong?" Lithuania tried again worriedly, stirring the bilini batter with a wooden spoon.

"_Nothing _is wrong. I am _fine."_

"You can tell me anything, you know."

"There is _nothing_ to talk to you about when there is _nothing _wrong."

"…"

Estonia was mildly surprised to hear that Lithuania stopped prying, but was still pent on anger towards— he didn't even know why. _Latvia _was the first thing that came to mind, but he knew that Russia was the one who he truly was fuming at. The house that the Baltic's were captive in was a stressful place, and Estonia was the one to usually keep his smart and studious manner present at all times. He was just so _frustrated._

"Eduard, I don't think the counter needs any more cleaning," Lithuania suggested quietly, loading the pan with little pools of thin batter.

Estonia let out a sigh, a deep and tired sigh, before folding up the rag and washing his hands.

"I'm sorry Toris, I just don't know what got into me today," he mumbled, "I'm just so angry at…. _Everything. _I just want it to be over,"

Eduard turned in surprise when a light hand rested on his shoulder. The look in Toris's eyes was lined with fear and surprise.

"Don't say that! Please don't think about ending your life! We care a—"

Estonia shook his head hurriedly.

"No, no! I would never do something so selfish and leave you guys here alone. I just— I'm tired of _here. _The SU," Estonia's voice dropped to a whisper, "My people are _singing _for freedom."

Lithuania began to flip the bilini, the look of worry still etched on his face. _Why won't you answer? _With no more words spoken, Estonia wearily began to prepare the morning tea. Soon, the air filled with the scent of strong black tea and bilinis.

Estonia finished dispensing the warm drink equally among the four people of their household and loaded up the tea-tray.

"Um, Estonia," Lithuania mumbled as he picked up the last bilini with his spatula, "Russia wants us to eat together again."

Eduard blinked in surprise, but dread crept quickly into him. Russia _never _has breakfast with them; it was always in his office where he began paperwork so the Baltic's could have the morning to chatter silently and non-stressfully.

"Russia is?"

"Yeah, I don't know. Just comply, right?"

"I guess so."

Eduard walked to the dining room table, opposed to the Baltic's kitchen table, and set the cups of tea on their usual dinner spots. His brother followed him with a pile of bilini, accompanied with jam, honey, light fruit syrups, and regular fruits themselves. The two set the table in silence before Lithuania said he was to going to fetch Russia.

Estonia watched his brother disappear behind the doorframe and was left alone to the quiet room.

_Toris, how did you know that Russia wanted to eat with us?_

A loud crash sounded from down the hall, followed by a small cry— Estonia jumping in surprise. That was where Mr. Russia's office was located! Fumbling with his glasses, Eduard quickly hurried around to the hall and glanced at the door to the formidable room all the way at the end of the hall.

It was closed.

"Toris?" came a yelp from the bathroom, closer to the office. Ravis peeked his head from the other room towards the location of the yell.

"Ravis!" Estonia whispered harshly, his gut wriggling in worried anticipation. Ravis barely had any time to look at his brother before…

_CRASH!_

Both Baltic's jumped in terror as another huge sound came from the office.

"_SIR!" _came a shout from within the room.

"_ESTONIA AND LATVIA GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, RIGHT NOW!" _roared Russia.

Latvia screamed, running away from the door and past Estonia, who was scared shitless. It took one last crash for Estonia to snap out of his trance and run away from the room. His legs felt like Jello, and he didn't even stop when his glasses fell to the ground. He raced up the stairs, taking three at a time, and sprinted to their shared bedroom.

_Lock the door, kretiin!_

Fingers fumbling with the lock, Estonia managed to bar the door shut.

Breathing heavily, he slid to the ground.

"Latvia?" he asked the room in a hoarse whisper.

A sob sounded from underneath their bed. Estonia shakily crawled over to the bedside and peeked underneath. Ravis was shaking so hard Eduard could feel the ground trembling. His face was in his hands, and wet tears slipped through his fingers.

Estonia's heart broke. He slipped under the bed beside Latvia, his back awkwardly hitting the bottom of the bed, and positioned himself besides his brother.

"Shh, i-it's alright L-Latvia," Estonia tried to soothe, but his own voice and body wouldn't stop shaking. _How did Toris manage to be so sensitive and caring to everyone else in times like this? _"We a-are going to be al-r-right."

Latvia broke into a large sob, earning a comforting hug from Estonia.

"Shh,"

"E-E-Eduard," Ravis finally chocked out, "We l-l-l-left him. _With _Mr. R-R-Russia!"

Estonia's mind went numb.

_We left him._

_Our brother is with the most terrifying country in the world._

_Alone._

**Translations:**

**Armastuse jumal: for the love of God (Estonian)**

**Lihtsalt fantastiline: F*cking fantastic (Estonian)**

**kretiin: idiot (Estonian)**

**Notes:**

**Ravis's song: this song is of the time of the Baltic Way, which was 1989. It is in Latvian, but I wanted to put the English lyrics because I think it's important to understand. The whole song feels like a 1990's song, so don't judge it, because the meaning behind it is very strong and amazing. Both the song and the Baltic Way will become very important pretty soon.**

**Thanks for reading! Your reviews mean so, so, so much to me, and I smile every time I get one. Suggestions, knowledge about the time period or that culture, language quirks- they all make me so happy :) Bye!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright, here is chapter 6! I actually found time this weekend to write this! WARNING: there is quite some violence in this chapter. Not super bad though. This one was a little emotional to write- it was hard for me to try and capture Russia's 'different side'. I feel bad for him and yet mad at him at the same time. Anyways, enjoy!**

Lithuania felt the sweatiness of his palms as he walked down the hall to Russia's office. The day had not begun well with Mr. Russia ordering him to say such, _demeaning _things, and Lithuania hated that he had to face him again. Hopefully he wasn't in such a childish and scary mood.

_ When is he not? _Toris thought bitterly.

But, like he always did, the country sucked up all his fear, doubt, and concern, and portrayed a warm smile as he gripped the handle of the door and pulled it softly open.

"Mr. Russia, the breakfast is ready in the—"

A gasp escaped Toris when he saw Russia. He was sitting in his chair; his upper body draped over the large desk, his hand latched around a bottle of vodka, his hair seemed disheveled even though Toris saw him no later than two and half hours ago. Papers that had been stacked neatly, ready for reading and signing, had been thrown against the wall and scattered. Another vodka bottle had been emptied and was lying by Lithuania's feet.

Mr. Russia would _never _let anyone besides Toris see this side of him. The broken, depressed, and indescribably weak part of the huge country.

"Sir! Are y-you alright?" Lithuania asked, worried about both Russia and his current mood.

"G-get inside and sh-shut the door."

Lithuania swallowed the large lump in his throat.

"Yes sir."

After he did as he was told, Russia beckoned him to his desk. The air was thick with a weird mix of anger and sadness. It made it hard for Lithuania to keep his smile up, because he knew these were the moments that were most crucial. If he made Russia angry, he _knew _what happen. Toris's eyes locked on the vodka bottle in Ivan's hand. Resisting the urge to walk out of the room, Lithuania quietly obeyed and walked to the formidable man.

"Are you alright?" Toris asked again.

Lithuania had always been the person who couldn't help but want to aid others. Whether they are his friend, his brother, his boss, his underling, his superior, or Poland (Poland gets his own category in Lithuania's book), Toris always felt he wanted to help them. That made him a very likable and turn-to person when people needed _anyone _to go to.

Even Russia was included.

His eyes looked up at Toris, which were bloodshot and glassy, and he finally began to push himself up and off the desk. Lithuania stiffened instinctively.

"L-Lietva. They don't love me. Even b-b-b-big sister Ukraine is speaking of leaving. I-I don't know what I am going to do. Belarus— she is acting odd also. She doesn't want to become one with me, she wants to go away. Liet what is happening? Why do they all want to leave? What am I doing wrong?"

Russia let go of the vodka and buried his face in his hands. A sob wracked his body and Lithuania felt the need to both step forward and step back.

"Sir, I—"

"Is it me? Is it what I have been doing? What am I doing wrong, I've just been following orders. My boss is telling me what to do all the time, I-I'm just listening to him," the nation shook his head, anguish caked in his word. Suddenly, he looked up at Lithuania, who tried his best not to shrink back. "They listen to their bosses, don't they? Litva, you listen to your people, correct?"

The large nation looked at Toris with strong longing. Like the answer Toris spoke would solve everything.

"Sir, I think th-they listening to their bosses. They are listening to their people, and their people are telling them to leave..."

"But _WHY?! _WHY do they want to leave?!" Russia burst, his hands banging on the desk with large force. The vodka bottle rattled and dropped to ground, where it spilt alcohol and glass. "I don't understand! I-I'm doing everything I can, I am being stretched so thin between all of my states, and their departure is _breaking me apart. _How can they _want to leave?"_

Lithuania brain seemed muddied. The one person he knew would see through his lies, the one person who wanted the truth— was the one person he couldn't speak honestly to.

"S-Sir, I—" Toris tried.

"Litva, what is wrong with me? I am _deteriorating _and— and why? Why, why, why?" Ivan wept.

Toris took a small step forward, trying to ease the fear on his face. His offered a small, sad smile and relaxed his hands. Maybe his demeanor would calm his superior down.

"Mr. Russia, I-I am not sure. What can I do to help?"

But Russia was already shaking his head violently, his gloved hands running through his white-blonde hair.

"There's nothing you _can _do. There's nothing you can do because it is all on me. _I _have to do everything, my boss tells me what to do, so I do it."

Toris felt his smile break when those violet eyes, so angry and miserable, met his own. They looked empty— broken.

"Liet, your boss, what is he saying?" Russia asked, his voice searching for an answer, "What does he want you to do?"

Lithuania felt his breath hitch. The air felt thick and not breathable.

"Sir, m-my people, they— they want…." Toris searched for something, _anything, _he could say to Ivan so the man wouldn't get mad.

Suddenly, the Siberian nation got up from his large, cushioned chair. The glass crunched underneath his shoes as he circled around his desk to where Lithuania was standing.

"M-M-Mr. Russia?"

Ivan's eyes were so _sad. _Toris saw the purple pools of color so _tired _and distraught.

Russia's chin quivered as he spoke.

"Litva, _what _do they _want? _Do _not _lie to me. I can see when your _lying. _You lie a lot— you put on that smile so I will be happy. You put it on every single day, but it is a _lie! _I want a _true _smile from you. _I _want to be truly happy. I want my people to be happy, but I'm just being… _pulled _and stretched… and my bones ache and I want to just _die _sometimes, because my boss is telling me one thing, and my conscience is telling me the other. I don't understand, Liet! Why are they leaving?"

Russia's hands found their way onto Toris's shoulders, keeping him rooted to the spot. Lithuania could no longer keep his smile firm and instead felt his arms shake with panic. He felt the new anger in Russia— he watched his boss as he stumbled between sane and insane.

"S-sir…" Lithuania whispered.

"Answer me, Litva. _Why _are they leaving? Why do they want to go away from me?" Russia's voice had began to rise, his anger finally pouring out, and he tightened his grip on Lithuania's shoulders unconsciously.

"S-s-sir, you are _hurting _me!"

"T-tell me. Right now, Lithuania. Tell me _right now!" _Russia was now shouting through his clenched teeth, not hearing what Toris had cried before.

Toris's whole body shook in the hold of Russia. _He has snapped. The Soviet Union is breaking so he is breaking, _he thought quickly, _If I don't react soon enough he will hurt Ravis or Eduard…_

"Sir… I— They want to leave…b-because…." _But I really don't know what to say!_

"Spit it _out, _Litva." Russia barked, shaking Lithuania for emphasis.

"They want to be free."

Lithuania didn't know where that came from, but it was the first thing that came to mind.

He winced as Russia squeezed his arms tighter.

"But _why? _Why do they want to be free, I am doing all I can for them!" Russia roared.

Toris choked on a groan on pain.

"S-sir… Sir you are _hurting me!"_

But Russia wouldn't relent, not saying a word until Lithuania would speak.

"Their people want to be free. Their bosses want them to be free, so they don't have to be told otherwise from y-you or y-your boss. That is the only reason," Lithuania said quickly, wrenching himself from Russia's grasp. His shoulders throbbed as he stumbled back, away from the other country.

Russia shook with fury, but didn't advance towards the Baltic. His eyes locked on the empty vodka bottle on the ground.

"Bog chert voz'mi!" Russia bellowed and kicked the vodka bottle into the wall. Glass shards flew into the air and landed all throughout the room.

Lithuania yelped and stumbled farther back till he was up against the opposite wall.

"Toris?" came a worried voice from outside of Russia's office.

_Dieve! Ravis, don't come in here! _Lithuania cried in thought.

Russia clenched and unclenched his hands before deciding on balling up both of them and sending his right into the bookcase. Lithuania watched his superior as he ripped books from the bookcase— throwing them to the ground in such anger that it made Lithuania want to curl up and pray to… _anything. _But, Toris could already see blood was seeping through his gloves. Russia was getting hurt through his blind rage.

"_SIR!" _Toris yelled, pushing himself off the wall.

"_ESTONIA AND LATVIA GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, RIGHT NOW!" _Russia bellowed.

Toris could hear the terrified scream of his brother from the other side of the wall and the sound of racing footsteps.

_Ačiū Dievui._

Russia's next attempt to tear more books out of the bookshelf snapped Lithuania back to attention.

"SIR, STOP!" he yelled, but the nation wouldn't stop.

Toris stared wide-eyed as Russia continued without any sign of quitting.

His feet began to move by themselves. In a wild attempt, Lithuania grabbed Russia's arm as it rose to hit the furniture again.

Toris groaned when he was elbowed by the very arm he was clutching, ignoring Ivan's screams and Russian profanities, and held tight.

"IVAN, CALM DOWN!" Toris yelled as loud as he could manage. The other nation thrashed in Lithuania's grip. He was now sobbing, slowly lessening his blows on the Baltic as he leaned into Lithuania for support. Toris, not being as muscular or tall as Ivan, weakened his hold and they both slid to the ground in a heap— Toris sitting on his knees awkwardly holding Russia's upper body in his lap. The two sat silently as Russia let out pent up tears. It wasn't until Russia had gone quiet until Lithuania spoke.

"Are you alright, Ivan?" Toris's voice had gone hoarse from yelling. He hoped using the familiarity of "Ivan" would help soothe the other nation.

The other man shifted and softly pushed himself off of Lithuania.

"I'm fine," Russia sighed, wiping his eyes painfully, "I'm fine, I'm just tired."

_You are fine, even though you demolished the room and let all of your emotions out for me to see?_

"Maybe you should rest then," Lithuania suggested, "Take a break from the paperwork today— I'll bring your breakfast up to your room."

Russia sucked in a breath, then let it out before rising to his feet. Lithuania followed him, wincing at the traces of glass in his skin.

"I think I will do just that. Thank you, Litva," Russia said tiredly.

Lithuania hated how the personality change made him sound _so sincere._

_Do you realize what you just did to your office? …Or me?_

Russia stared at the ground, his eyebrows scrunched in deep thought before finally saying the same words he said yesterday:

"You will not say anything about this, da?"

Lithuania's reply was almost instant, as if he had memorized it.

"Da."

Lithuania shoulders hurt as he carried the tray of food and tea up the stairs. He didn't know how much time had passed since his encounter with Russia, or if his brothers had come out of their hiding places yet. He hoped they stayed put, since Toris had not been able to clean himself up. Toris hadn't even been able to assess himself— all he knew was that his shoulders were bruised, his back and hands most likely had bits of vodka bottle shards left in them, and his head was a little dizzy.

But he didn't want to waste time in the bathroom cleaning his wounds when he knew that Russia needed to decompress. If he was in his room all day, then the Baltics could finally earn some well-deserved peace.

Lithuania still couldn't believe Russia had opened his inner thoughts to him. It shocked Toris that even Belarus wanted out of the Soviet Union equation— she had always wanted to be one with Russia, and now that she was, she must've seen _something _in him that distanced the sisters and the large nation. And Ukraine, Russia's ditzy sister, still saw that being in the Union was_ not _healthy for anyone.

_How was Russia able to trust me seeing him so broken down like that? Doesn't he know that makes him seem weak enough that I could easily declare my independence? _Lithuania involuntarily shivered. _Then again, he was able to batter me in that same, broken state…_

Toris approached the master bedroom and knocked three times with his knuckles.

"Come in, Litva."

Toris sucked in a breath before entering the room.

Russia's bedroom was large and elegant. His bed was grandiose and maroon. Six pillows lined themselves against the back frame— all the same red color with gold designs. The tall window was covered with thick, elegant curtains. The Soviet Union symbol was stitched on each. Russia had a few furs on the ground as rugs and a fireplace, which was currently burning. Toris was glad the room had heat, because he was currently cold.

"You can set that down on my bed, da?" came Russia's voice from the bathroom that was connected to the same room. Lithuania licked his lips nervously, trying to figure out what to say, before doing what he was told.

"Liet, can you come here and grab my mug. It is still here from yesterday."

"Of course, sir." Toris frowned, not wanting to be near Russia for a while.

He moved to the bathroom. Russia was currently trying to clean off a blood from a hand wound, but quickly covered it when Toris entered.

"Let me see your hand," Toris sighed, putting his own out, "Let me wrap it."

Russia blinked, swallowing nervously, before chuckling.

"_I _know how to wrap wounds, Litva."

"Just give it to me, Ivan," Lithuania repeated, looking straight into Russia's purple eyes, "I know about your hands. It's fine."

Russia's features lined with fear for a quick moment, before he loosened himself and sighed. Slowly, he stuck out his hand for Lithuania to care for.

White lines scarred the tops of Russia's hands and weaved up to his arms. There were a few old burn marks and an angry pink scar near his elbow. Toris didn't know the exact details of the scars, but he knew how Russia had been treated when _Lithuania _had been in power. A long, _long _time ago where Russia was under Mongolia, and Poland was under Lithuania.

Toris's first time seeing them was during his first years as an underling to Russia. Not used to having people in his house, Russia had accidently forgot to put his black gloves on when he was eating dinner…

Only Lithuania had seen.

Only Lithuania knew.

Toris straightened Russia knuckles before wrapping the white bandages around his hand. It had become seriously bruised from punching the book case. _Why do you hurt yourself like this, Russia…_

Lithuania gave a small smile anyways.

Toris tied off the wound and went to pick up the emptied mug that sat on the counter. Russia stopped him from leaving by placing a hand on his damaged shoulder.

Toris winced and tensed up automatically.

"Liet, you are hurt…" Russia said worriedly.

Lithuania put on a sad smile and shook his head.

"It's fine. I'm going to clean up when I return downstairs," he reassured quickly.

Russia's face had the most confusing look of worry. The hand on Toris's shoulder slowly lifted before Russia whispered:

"Please don't talk about any of this to Latvia and Estonia. I— I don't want them to think… that I intentionally hurt you… I was just so upset…"

"It's fine, Mr. Russia," Lithuania repeated, his voice tired and shaky, "I will not let them believe that."

"Thank you, Lithuania," Russia sighed, sounding relieved, "And I am sorry."

Toris felt his eyes brim with tears. _That doesn't change anything._

"It's fine, Mr. Russia." Lithuania whispered, too exhausted to say anything else.

**Notes:**

**Bog chert voz'mi!: God dammit! (Russian)**  
**Dieve: Oh God (Lithuanian)**  
**Ačiū Dievui: Thank God (Lithuanian) **

**History:**  
**Ukraine and Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union on December 1, 1991 and July 27, 1990 respectively. (yes I know. These dates are not close to each other, but like I said before, for the sake of the story, I am not caring about dates as much)**

** Duchy of Lithuania: Lithuania was the REAL boss of the 15th century. It had become the largest state in all of Europe: its land including Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and…_ RUSSIA_. That's right. "Little" Lithuania wasn't so little and had control over one of the most control-hungry countries around. **

**Further stuff:**

**This chapter was a little hard to write, I hope it wasn't terrible. Anyways, story time! Today, I went on a bike ride to have some 'peace and quiet' writing time. I was sitting in this field, writing down the dialogue for this chapter, and then I noticed that there was a _dead deer_ literally ten feet from me. What. The. Hell. I dunno what this means… I'll let you guys try to figure that out because it was one the most creepiest things **

**;_;**

**Anyway, next chapter won't be up for a while because of school, but it will be posted by next Sunday. My homecoming is on Saturday, so knock on wood I won't trip on my face :P **

**One more note: Sorry if you read this, and it was in script! There mast be some grammar/spelling issues with this copy of the chapter because I had to quickly go through and delete all of the script in it! Sorry! Again, thanks to all of you who messaged me about this problem! I hope it is fixed! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A wild chapter appears! I know I said I wouldn't for a while, but I found some time, and this chapter is as short as I want it to be. Here's a good chapter that will hopefully make you feel warm inside, because some days we need to be reminded where the sunflowers grow….**

"I'm going to see if it is over, Latvia," Estonia whispered to his brother.

"O-ok."

Estonia squeezed Ravis's arm consolingly before bending his way out from under the bed. His back hurt from staying hidden underneath the bed so long, but he stretched it off before realizing that his glasses had been dropped on his mad dash to their bedroom. The whole world was more blurry than usual.

_I'll grab them as fast as I can on the way down. _

Eduard drummed his fingers on his leg.

_Russia might be down there. _Fingers unlatched the lock and curled around the door handle. _But Toris might be there in need of me help._

Eduard pulled open the door silently.

_Like that one time._

The hallway was silent. It eerily reminded him of the night before, when he had snuck up to hear Lithuania's conversation with Poland. Distantly, Estonia could hear a faint run of water. No screams. No yells. No large thumps or shatters.

_It's over... _Estonia breathed and eased himself down the hallway. Lightly gliding down the staircase, the Baltic paused at the base to listen to the large house again. The wind hit fiercely against the windows, but other than that, there were no other noises.

Quickly, Estonia crept down the downstairs hall to the kitchen, picking up his un-scratched glasses up off the floor, where he found the room empty of both his brother and the food they had prepared. This room was not worth investigating. He knew the real scene was further down the hall.

The sound of streaming water was apparent from the same bathroom Ravis had been hiding in. _Toris… _Estonia picked up his pace to come face to face with his brother— who was mending himself with a first aid kit.

"Toris!" Estonia whispered excitedly, his eyes brimming with relieved tears, "You are alright!"

Lithuania whipped his attention to his brother, panic flashing across his face for a brief moment, before his demeanor relaxed and his gave a placid smile. His hand, which was in the process of being bandaged, slipped away from Estonia's view before he spoke.

"Eduard, _Ačiū Dievui. _Are you and Ravis ok? He didn't come into our room?"

The other Baltic shook his head, stepping into the bathroom so he was able to close the door behind him.

"_We _are fine. We were terrified for _you_. Did— Did he hurt you?"

Estonia hated the look Lithuania gave him— it was a cross between confusion and deep worry. As if he were trying to formulate a way to tell his brother so _Estonia _wouldn't worry.

"He…" Toris seemed to struggle to find the right words, "_accidently _blew off his steam by punching the bookcase…"

"_Accidently?" _Estonia fumed, "How can your hand's wound be an _accident? _What Russia does to you is just a _game!"_

Lithuania pressed his lips into a thin, white line.

"It wasn't _intentional_."

"Then what was it then?" Eduard pressed, his voice low, "Me and Ravis have been left in the dark for far too long now."

"Russia is emotionally upset," Lithuania tried to explain, "He— He is dealing with a lot of stressful matters at the moment, and he just _snapped _and I—"

"Why does it sound like you are trying to defend him? Do you think he is going to get better? That our situation is going to get easier? Do you really believe that, Toris?" Eduard shouted in a whisper.

"_No! _No… I'm just…"

"Then _what? _Why aren't we hightailing it out of here _now?"_

"Estonia, it doesn't work like that—"

"Do you still _believe in him? _Do you believe that things will _ever _be equal between us little Baltic States and Mother Russia?"

"_NO!" _Lithuania roared, anger filling his words. Estonia took a step back in surprise, not used to the outburst from _Lithuania _of all people. There was anger in those blue-green eyes, and it took a moment for it to dissipate into tired pools of light.

"No, I don't think it is going to get better," Lithuania sighed, the softness of his voice returning, "Russia is just going to get weaker, but he is like a cornered animal. As we saw today, he lashed out. He is complicated… One moment he is fine and then another he is…" Lithuania paused, shutting his mouth quickly before reopening it, "_angry _and _confused _and it leaves me feeling angry and confused as well. It's frustrating, and I hate it, and I hate it more than anything when he involves you too… I don't want anything harming you or Latvia…"

Estonia waited for him to continue, not breaking his brother's speech.

Lithuania stared at the mirror and his shoulders relaxed in fatigue.

"But… I'm not sure if I am able to protect you… I don't want you feeling as if you _need _to be protected all of the time. I'm not defending him, I just— I want him to be independent as well as us… Because he is as captive as we are at times."

Toris went silent, waiting for the words to sink in.

"Give me your hand, Toris, let me patch you up," Estonia sighed, holding his hand out.

Toris's eyes traveled back to his brother, a look of surprise pressed on his face. Slowly, his eyes crinkled and a forgiving smile replaced the thin line.

"Thank you, Eduard."

Estonia looked over Lithuania's half-wrapped hand. It had been bloodied somehow, and he gave Toris a questioning stare, who replied a soft, "It was glass."

"And you got it all out?" the middle Baltic asked.

"I think so…"

Eduard looked over his hand just to make sure, before completely wrapping it and taping it off in a way that Toris could still move his hand properly. Though he wasn't the one who usually got injured, Estonia knew how to mend wounds the best out of all the Baltics. He was careful and checked Toris's upper arm for glass shards, but didn't find any.

"Your back, is it ok…?" Estonia asked as subtly as he could

"It's _fine. _I told you— he didn't mean to hurt me," Lithuania responded hastily.

Eduard nodded, but somehow wasn't convinced. His brother flexed his hand, giving a thankful nod before cleaning up the pile of washcloths he had presumably used to stop the bleeding on his own. Trying to be of help, Eduard cleaned off the counter of any remainder blood and left the bathroom so his brother could follow.

"Where is Ravis?" Lithuania asked, worry already developing in his voice again.

_Upstairs, under our bed, shaking by himself…._

"Oh, right…" Estonia inwardly scolded himself for leaving the train wreck alone, "Would you come with me? I think he needs to see if you are alright."

"Of course— how bad is he? I heard him scream…" Lithuania murmured as he followed alongside Estonia to the stairs.

"He… He is pretty bad. He was really worried about your safety, but he was frightened out of his mind. I don't think he can deal with Russia anytime soon," Estonia mumbled.

They made it to their room, both of them hushing their voices to not scare Latvia as they entered.

"Latvia?" Estonia called, "It's over. Lithuania is safe."

"I'm here, Ravis," Lithuania followed, trying to strengthen his brother's words.

A small sniff of tears came from under the Baltic's bed.

"T-Toris?" a tiny voice asked. Slowly, the youngest nation of the trio poked his head out from under the bed. His face was blotchy and his eyes were puffy, but seeing Lithuania made it even worse. He crawled out, Toris rushing to him, and bawled.

Estonia couldn't help but worry that Russia would hear the small country.

"Shh, shh. It's alright, Ravis. _Aš geras_. I'm here, _Jūs esate saugūs_," Lithuania consoled gently.

"I th-thought," Latvia choked on his sobs, "That _you _were the one crashing i-i-into the walls and I-I d-don't have any courage. Toris, I-I-I'm sorry, I should've gone to h-help you!"

He burst out crying again, but Toris just rocked him pacifyingly back and forth.

"Shh, no. Don't ever do that, Ravis. Do not go into the same room as Russia when he is like that, ok?"

"B-b-but, Lithuania, w-we just left y-y-you…"

"No, you didn't. I want you to be safe, alright? I don't want to worry about you when I'm dealing with him. I want you safe, and I want you and your brother to protect each other," Lithuania corrected, squeezing his brother tighter, as if Russia was going to swoop in and take them away from Toris.

A long silence occurred, but it was a comforting silence— a quiet kind of tranquility.

"T-Toris?" Ravis finally hiccupped.

"Yes, Latvia?"

"Promise me something?"

Lithuania sucked in a breath. Estonia could tell that his brother wasn't up for making promises.

"What is it?"

Ravis sniffed back tears, brushing Toris's bandaged hand lightly.

"Please don't ever leave us like that again."

Lithuania swallowed thickly. He eyed Estonia, his eyes hurt but sad at the same time. He knew he couldn't keep that promise all the time. Eduard knew that too. But, Lithuania took in a deep breath and put on a smile.

"I will try, Latvia."

Eduard watched his two brothers, tangled in a mess of tears of sadness and happiness, with befuddled amazement. This was them. This was the Baltics. They were such a mess. They had so many flaws. They fought, they cried, they shook till the ground rattled— But they were a family. Estonia dropped carefully to his knees and hugged his brothers.

_We technically aren't brothers, _Eduard thought, _But even if we have different languages, and like different things, and don't agree on most topics, we still have a bond most don't have. _

"Aš tave myliu," Lithuania whispered.

"E-E-Es tevi mīlu."

Estonia closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the other two radiate onto him. They needed independence. That was a given. But even if they became their own countries, Eduard felt that this… this _warmth _would never disappear.

"Ma armastan sind." 

**Phew, this chapter took a whole different side of me to write. I listened to ****_Bird in the Cage, _****an Attack on Titan song that is so beautiful and sad, while writing this chapter. I hope this portrayed their "brother bond". I would like to think that even though they have been through a lot, they are still strong together like this. I hope it wasn't overly dramatic, but boy do I love writing drama.**

**Translations:**

**Ačiū Dievui: Thank God**

**Aš geras: I'm good**

**Jūs esate saugūs: You are safe**

**Aš tave myliu: I love you**

**Es tevi mīlu: I love you**

**Ma armastan sind: I love you**

**Update:**

**Next chapter will take longer most likely. Love reading your comments/reviews. It makes me very happy learning that there are so many of you reading my story! (I cherish you all dearly!) Thanks! Bye!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! This chapter has three POV's: Latvia, Lithuania, and…. ? I'll let you guys see who when you get to the bottom. :) Sorry, this chapter isn't that long, but I have been swamped with homework/homecoming (which actually went pretty well!) BUT this weekend is a four day weekend so I should be able to plan/write the next chapter (3,000 word chapter would be nice) Anyways, enjoy!**

Things had started to settle down after the incident with Russia. The man stayed in his room the rest of the day, Lithuania the only one to offer him food, and slept. Ravis was fine with the predicament, because it didn't involve him and Mr. Russia. Though Latvia tried to keep a strong face, the thought of Russia demolishing everything in his office scared Latvia to the point of shaking— and that was just the _thought _of it.

The littlest nation had decided that he needed to do something, since Eduard had been working away downstairs since they had all hugged. Toris was probably working upstairs, or resting, which Latvia thought he needed after dealing with Mr. Russia. Latvia, however, had taken some time to calm down and quit shaking.

_I'm so weak. Why can't I be strong? _Ravis thought, _Toris was the one who needed to cry, not me. He thought of me when he was in danger… Why can't I think like that?_

Ravis frowned, looking around the house for something to.

_I want to be useful. _

The Baltic found himself in the very hallway he had run out of— the one that led to Mr. Russia's office. As if a tidal wave had caught him, Latvia squirmed in his place and took a step back.

_C-come on, Ravis, y-y-you can do this._

With apprehension, Latvia slowly took a step forward towards the office. If he cleaned the office, it was sure to get him some praise, right? But Ravis didn't even know if he could manage going inside…

Slowly, he walked to the door. Gripping the handle, he opened the door to see what _exactly _had happened when Lithuania had dealt with Russia. When he got a good look inside, his mouth fell open immediately. The room had been not been trashed. It had been _demolished. _On the floor, glass, papers, and books were all ripped and spread out everywhere. Russia's desk, which was usually neat and orderly, had been blended into a mesh of crumpled papers and destroyed piles.

All of this did _not _help Latvia's trembling issue.

The whole scene left the small nation feeling more scared than when he first entered. He wanted more than anything to get out of there… Because the person who cared for his entire _country _had done this.

_Stay, show them you can be brave too._

_ Get out, get out, get out._

_ Someone will have to clean this up, don't put this on your brothers. _

_ He could do this to your people. Russia is capable of this and so much more. _

_ Be brave for once, Latvia. Drosme._

Ravis had an inner battle with himself until he bunched up his fists and sucked in a breath. Filled with dread, the Baltic closed the door behind him and began to clean, ignoring the mantra _Get out, get out, get out _that was whispering in his conscious.

After a while of sorting strewn papers, a certain maroon-colored envelope caught Latvia's eye. It had bold letters on the front, reading _Gosudarstva Sovetskogo Soyuza. _It seemed to be thick, thicker than the other files Latvia had been sorting through earlier.

Ravis looked around anxiously. _I know I shouldn't look, _he thought, _but…_

Curiosity got the best of him and he opened the folder. Everything was in Russian, byt Latvia knew his fair share of the language so he could make out almost everything on the page. Peering at the debriefing page, he translated:

_With no further disputes with the UN, the Baltic Nations of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, along with the nations of Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Ukraine will be under care of Russia (The Glorious Soviet Union) and will be controlled accordingly._

Latvia inhaled sharply. This folder, it was about the nations of the SU. About _him. _Did he even want to read this? What if he saw… something he didn't want to see. About his home, and his people. It had been five years since the last time he was allowed to set foot on his own land. Russia allowed the Baltics access to the information regarding their people, but they all didn't know if it was true or not. This folder held the contents of reported _facts. _His fingers slightly trembling, Ravis opened the folder to a random page.

0o0o0o0o0o

Lithuania had taken no time for rest, even though he was tired beyond belief. Just an hour before, Estonia had tried to convince him to take the rest of the day off, but he knew that was impossible since he knew Latvia would be too scared to work, thus giving all of the chores to Eduard. At the time, Toris had outwardly agreed with him, but after Estonia had gone downstairs, Lithuania snuck out the door to do some yard work.

_My hand doesn't hurt that much anyways, _Toris convinced himself, _And besides, the cold will wake me up. _

Bundled up in a coat, firm boots, and working gloves, Lithuania grabbed a shovel that lay under the steps of the porch, and began to clear the slippery ice that had accumulated on the walkway to the house. Digging into the frozen substance, the nation began to work. His hand began to hurt underneath all of the bandages, even if he had decided it was fine, but he ignored it and thought distantly as he worked.

The snow that was falling softly around him brought him to a think of Poland for some reason. Lithuania huffed, just _thinking _of Poland always brought some kind of stress or concern of some kind. His cross-dressing, pony loving, pink advocating friend always struck a special place in his heart. It was probably because of their "married" days. Feliks was such an… _idiot _sometimes, with his Polish rule and awkward moments. But, Toris always felt somewhat relieved of his pent up issues when he spoke to his friend. It had almost been _fifty _years since his last breath of freedom. Poland had helped him get through those long years just by his voice on the phone.

Feliks didn't know much about what happened in Mr. Russia's home. Well, almost _no one _knew about what happened in Mr. Russia's home. Toris, not wanting to worry his friend, didn't talk to him about those matters and instead let Poland rant for hours on end about the latest dress he thought would look "_So totally cute!". _His friend had an odd way of indirectly soothing Lithuania.

The sound of a car pulling up to the mansion snapped Toris from his thoughts. Stopping what he was doing, the Baltic watched as with apprehension as a man in a blue uniform made his way to the iron-gate that surrounded the property. It took a moment for Toris to snap out of his trance and realize it was the mail, which was unusual, since the Baltics usually had to go in town to get it.

"Privet, Filipp, you have mail for Mr. Braginsky?" Lithuania asked lightly as he headed over to the gate door.

The man held a large, square package with stamps of approval on them. When the gate was opened, he handed the box, which was surprisingly light, to Toris.

"Net, the package is addressed to some one by the name of Ravis Galante. Is he a subordinate to Mr. Braginsky?" Filipp replied back, having trouble with pronouncing the youngest Baltic's name.

Lithuania swallowed, staring at the box. _Why would someone send Ravis a gift? Who would send Ravis a gift?_

"Ah, sorry, yes he is an underling of the house. I can get this to him. D-do I owe you any money?"

"Net, it is already handled."

_Already paid in full? Who is doing this? _

"Spasibo."

"Do svidaniya, Toris."

"Do svidaniya…"

Lithuania stared at the box in his hands in confused awe. _How _did this package get past all of the clearance that it needed to get to _Latvia _of all people? The box was addressed to the youngest Baltic, but Toris couldn't shake off the weird feeling he got. They almost _never _got mail, and it was usually only business eventually turned over to Russia.

Forgetting about his duties outside, Toris hurried back to the house with the box locked in his grasp.

_Whatever it is, I can't let Russia see this. He will confiscate it or do something to it… _

Lithuania slipped inside, silently closing the door shut, before peeking around for the presence of Russia. _Go to your room and hide it NOW. _And that was what Toris attempted. Shaking off his winter coat and gloves, Lithuania unstrapped his thick, icy-covered boots and replaced them with indoor black lace up boots. Ascending the steps, Toris jogged to their room. When inside, he heaved the closet door open, Lithuania's sore shoulders groaning in protest, and shoved the package out of sight by hiding it under an empty suitcase. Toris finally breathed. The small, but risky, delivery had been made.

_Where is Ravis?_

The question dawned on him when he realized the small teen wasn't in their room. Had he already gone back to the chores? That was unlike Latvia, who usually shut himself up under the covers of their bed when Russia had episodes like this. He was usually too shaky to be able to clean or do anything, much less face Russia.

Already worried, Lithuania left their room and searched the upstairs corridor. Nothing. Downstairs? He could hear Estonia now in the kitchen, either preparing lunch or cleaning something. There was always something to clean. But Latvia…

"N-N-No sir, I w-w-was just tidying up."

Lithuania stopped in his tracks. _Latvia is NOT where I think he is._

"Spasibo, little one, but I will take it from here."

Toris pulled himself from his statue state and hurried down the hallway where Latvia was. _Russia is already up and going? Hadn't we agreed on him resting?_

"D-D-Da sir, right away, I um, yes."

The office door opened and Ravis stepped out, his eyes wide as saucers as the door shut behind him.

"Latvia!" Lithuania cried in an alarmed whisper.

Latvia slowly looked up at him, as if he were in a trance. He looked completely worn out and terrified, and it didn't take long before he broke into a run to meet his brother. Slamming into Toris's chest, Latvia hugged his brother tightly.

"Latvia, what were you doing in there?" Toris asked in a low voice.

"I-I was trying to c-c-clean up the office so you wouldn't have to," Ravis answered, his voice muffled by Toris's uniform, "I did most of it b-before Mr. Russia returned."

"You did that for me?"

"W-well, yeah, I know you sh-shouldn't be working and I— I really tried to be brave in front of him, b-but it is really hard to and—"

Toris closed his eyes and hugged Ravis back.

"Shh, you are talking too fast. Thank you, you really didn't need to do that, though…"

"O-of course I did!" Ravis sputtered back, lifting himself away from Lithuania, "I c-can do things to help too! I'm not u-useless…"

"Of course not! No, you definitely helped. Thanks again, Latvia, just, don't endanger yourself around Russia, alright?" Lithuania explained soothingly, giving his brother a playful ruffle of his hair.

Latvia smiled. His features had smoothed out so he didn't look so stressed anymore, but he surprised Toris when he pulled Toris down to his level. Bending close to his ear, Ravis whispered;

"I have something to tell you later. It is very important."

Before Toris could question what had just happened, the little country bounded off to the front door to resume Lithuania's chore of clearing the sidewalk of ice. Not sure of what just happened, Toris stood still in confusion. _Something important to tell me? What did that mean? _A great sigh from Russia's office awakened him from his trance, and he too got back to work.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

_Why won't they quit._

Hands ran through locks of snow-white hair.

_Why can't they just be a happy family?_

Eyes of purple jewels traced the documents now in a neat pile.

_Why do they have to fight each other and me?_

A nagging voice in the voice tried to speak "_You know why, Litva told you", _but it was instantly hushed.

_They don't need freedom. They must listen. They must be apart of the family. They must live happily in the Soviet Union. They must obey. They have to stay with me. I won't be alone again. I won't be alone again. I won't be alone again. I won't be alone again. I won't be alone again. _

Words begin to spill out until they flood every thought, every action. They take over his body until his hands are shaking and all he sees in those purple eyes is red and the gold symbol. They fill his soul and leave him forgetting why he is moved by Litva's words, or why he shows others mercy.

_I won't be alone again. I won't be alone again. I won't be alone again. _

They can't stop, because if they quit, then who will Ivan listen to?

**Language Stuff **

**Drosme: Courage (Latvian)**

**Gosudarstva Sovetskogo Soyuza: State of the Soviet Union (Russian)**

**Privet: hello (Russian)**

**Net: No (Russian)**

**Spasibo: Thank you (Russian)**

**Do svidaniya: Goodbye (Russian)**

**Notes:**

**For those who like the history facts in the story, this chapter was basically a set up for a lot of historical events. I FINALLY DID MY RESEARCH. I have researched basically all I could for the fall of the soviet union for the Baltics, but not too much afterwards. But, I have made a timeline so things will be in a better order now. I am learning a lot from writing this :D The story will be cranking it up in the drama/thrill section (or so I hope) because we are nearing the times of riots, declaring independence, and the ultimate fall of the SU. **

** The ending of this chapter was the first POV of Russia, I hope it captured his inner struggle. I have to hate and sympathize with Russia at the same time. It's confusing, and that's the perspective I gave Lithuania since I feel like even to me, the writer, Russia is hard to understand. I listened to Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez while writing this. I think the song is really relevant to Russia in the sense that he wants a "dollhouse family"- something that can't be obtained. **

**Well, I'll leave you guys on that note. Thanks again for reading! Love you all!**


	9. Chapter 9

**HELL YAH LONG CHAPTER. Yup, I am proud to say that I went past my goal of 3,000 words. Enjoy! Today's chapter is pretty much a dramatic history lesson, so buckle up for a feels-full ride. Possibly. I dunno, you guys decide if I am doing this right**

Estonia was preparing a large lunch, since that was the most important meal to his Russian boss. Today's _obéd _consisted of _Kulebyaka— _which was currently being cooked after a long preparation on Estonia's part. Usually his brother did this chore… but he could manage. He could cook pretty good too, but Eduard _definitely _couldn't make traditional _Kulebyaka, _like Lithuania. The home-made, original recipes was what Russia loved the most, but at the moment, Eduard couldn't bring himself to give the man any sort of pity or adoration.

Plus, Estonia's mediocre cooking couldn't handle traditional _Kulebyaka._

As he let the pies cool on their respective plates, Estonia sipped the rest of his tea that sat in his blue mug.

_When will you tell us everything, Toris?_

Eduard couldn't help but be a little apprehensive to the whole situation they had been through so far. Things were happening too fast— first the phone call, then the incident with Russia…

It had been a while since an outburst with the intimidating country.

Russia's outbursts, from what Estonia had seen, were either long and moody, or quick and psychotic. Today had been a fine example of the latter. He was able to do damage quick, and then pretend nothing ever happened, or he was able to make the Baltic's lives more miserable over periods of time.

Estonia hated either.

The one thing the Baltic wanted most was to be able to sit in a comfortable chair in his homeland, and live a quiet life alone. Though he cared for his "brothers", he too needed his independence.

Setting down his tea, Eduard grabbed Russia's share of food and made his way to the stairs that ultimately led to Russia's room. _Just go, in and out, and then you are done, _he thought.

A figure bumped into him while he was walking. Emerald eyes met his own and before Estonia could speak, their owner spoke quickly;

"Is that for Russia? I can bring that to him, no need to trouble yourself."

Lithuania was already stealing the plate away from Estonia, but Eduard tightened his grip.

"What are you doing up?" Estonia questioned, clearly surprised, "Y-You do need to rest Toris, and there is _no _way I am l-letting you near him again."

Eduard met Toris's smile with a strict glare.

"Eduard, you voice is wavering, I know you don't want to see him," his brother sighed, his perceptiveness of body language good as ever, "And will you stop with the 'tired' thing? I am quite fine, I am not _that _old."

_Dammit, Leedu. _Estonia swore in his head. The mere fact that his eldest brother could read him so well was frightening, because it was _true_. Estonia didn't want to see Russia, but he knew that Lithuania must not either… _He knows I stutter only when I am stressed or scared…_

"Don't play around, Toris, I don't want you seeing him anytime soon. He could've r-really hurt you—"

"Oh hush," Lithuania interjected, finally stealing the plate, with a grunt of protest from Estonia, "I am fine, I am not hurt and I need you to do something for me anyways. Can you manage taking all of our lunches to our room? I know you love to read or spend some peaceful time in the library during our lunch break, but do you think you can suffer through another meal with me and Ravis?"

_Meal in our room? Is he trying to get us alone so he can talk to us? Answers, finally?_

"But…"

"Just, please, _brolis?" _ Lithuania now sounded more assertive, not asking, but telling Estonia. The sense of authority soon drifted away and Toris now smiled playfully, "Anyways, you were going the wrong way, _kvailys._"

And with that snarky comment, Toris was already treading towards Russia's office, leaving Estonia standing in the hallway with no comeback to win against his brother. The shock of being shot down so… _smugly _didn't help Estonia regain his assertive figure. His brother had won, and he had lost. _Toris, you lollpea…_ With a dissatisfied huff, Eduard left to carry out Lithuania's orders.

Past the initial annoyance, Estonia thought, _You always put us out of the way of danger, but when are you going to do that for yourself?_

0o0o0o0o

Latvia crammed the shovel into the slick ice. The jolt pushed him a little too hard, and he soon slipped and fell on his butt with an "OOF!". Slowly, the nation got off the ice and dusted himself off. _Now I'm cold, why did I take Lithuania's chores? _Ravis thought glumly.

_You know why. Stop being so selfish._

"But it's cold," wined Latvia, who accidently spoke his thoughts out loud.

"Well the, come inside. It is lunch time," a voice said from the porch.

Latvia swung towards the noise in fright, dropping the shovel. It was just Toris. He looked happier, less worried than before. That made Ravis calm.

_If Toris is ok, then I'm ok. _

"Did you make lunch, _brālis_?" Ravis questioned hopefully.

"No, Eduard did. That's not a problem though, right?" Lithuania chuckled and waved it off like it was nothing.

But it was _everything_.

Ravis huffed, disappointedly, as he bent to retrieve the fallen shovel.

"Says you. You don't see the… the _wrongness _in his cooking," Ravis pouted. Kicking the snow for emphasis, Ravis sulked and strode over to Lithuania.

"Wrongness? That's the adjective you came up with?" Lithuania cooed playfully, earning a puppy-dog-like scowl from his younger brother. When he got in reach, Ravis was pulled into Lithuania's side and hugged tightly.

"Oh shut up," Latvia grumbled, but slyness edged his voice.

"Eduard's cooking isn't _that _bad."

"It's nothing like yours, Toris."

"Aw, he would feel hurt if he heard you say that."

"But it's _true!"_

Lithuania laughed heartily, a rare occurrence that only few were able to witness. It was devoid of any dishonesty or artificiality. Usually, his older brother would put on a copy and paste smile that was used to comfort Russia or he would laugh with nervousness laced in his voice. But not in these memorable moments. So, Ravis laughed a true laugh along side him.

Before either could tease each other anymore, the wind blew on them harshly for a moment and sent them scrambling for the door. Latvia was able to swing it open, getting his brother in quickly, before sliding it shut before any snow could blow into the room with them. They leaned against the door as the wind outside howled, and looked each other with grins.

"I won."

"You _so _did not."

Lithuania helped Ravis out of his winter gear, mumbling about how they were to have lunch upstairs and not in the kitchen. Latvia didn't complain, since Russia was farther away in that circumstance.

Following his brother, Latvia felt oddly heavy and sluggish as they neared their room. _I must be tired…_

"Hey guys, I got the food."

"It smells wonderful, Eduard."

"Not as good as it could be…"

"Ravis!"

"Shh, it's fine Eduard, just ignore him."

"Oh _you _shh Toris. You know it's true."

"What are you implying?!"

"That is _quite _enough," Lithuania finally interjected, raising his hands in defense. He lowered his voice so that only the other two could hear him.

"As you may have noticed, I wanted to eat lunch up here because we have many things to discuss and catch up on. Our own World Conference meeting, if you will."

"The Baltic Conference meeting?" Latvia prompted.

Estonia snorted, not amused, and began to eat the _Kulebyaka._

"Sure," Lithuania gestured, "We need to set some things straight between all of us. A lot of things have been happening in Russia's home that usually don't happen. Dangerous things, like him snapping and his temper thinning. All of these things have been caused by—"

"The fall of the Soviet Union, right?" Ravis supplied, surprising both his brothers who stared at him wide-eyed, "Mr. Russia is falling apart."

Lithuania and Estonia looked as if they were paused by a remote— creating a comically funny scene of Lithuania with his hands mid-gesture and Estonia with his fork almost in his mouth.

It took a moment for Latvia to realize the change he brought to the atmosphere. The shift from the happy mood to the extremely serious one made Latvia feel vulnerable, so he physically backed off from the two and asked a shaky, "Wh-what?"

Lithuania was the first to blink and shake himself.

"How," Toris stumbled on the phrase, "How did _you _know about that, Ravis?"

"I knew it," Estonia murmured to himself, placing the fork back down on the plate.

Latvia swallowed, already playing at the hem of his shirt in nervousness.

"T-today, when I was cleaning Mr. Russia's papers…"

"You looked into his paperwork?" Estonia asked quickly, both worried and excited, "What did you see? What were in Mr. Russia's files?"

Ravis unconsciously took a step back, intimidated by his sudden importance.

"It's alright, Ravis," Lithuania mollified, "You can tell us anything, don't feel pressured."

Latvia breathed, slowly letting his guard down. Not wanting to meet his brothers' eyes, his stare was trained on his shoes. He thought back to the file that he had discovered after sweeping up the broken vodka bottle.

"W-well," Ravis began unsteadily, "There was a red folder labeled _Gosudarstva Sovetskogo Soyuza. _It was about all of the nations of the Soviet Union and about their current position in the independence movement. We were in there too."

Latvia looked up at his brothers now. They both looked anxious about the information that they were going to hear about their countries.

"What did it say about us?" Toris whispered.

"My country, for one thing, has been rioting," Ravis explained, a pained look starting across his face, "They— my people— were just trying to celebrate my independence anniversary in 1918… But Russia… He didn't let them. He stopped them from going to the Freedom Monument. How could he do that? I mean, I know _I _can't celebrate things like that… But my people should at least get the right to."

"Oh, Latvia, I'm so sorry," Lithuania breathed, his eyes becoming cloudy, "Did… Did Russia do anything to your people…?"

The air was thick with tense apprehension.

Ravis shook his head silently.

"But, I had no idea something like this happened. Why wouldn't he tell me? He promised we would know what was happening to our people under his rule, but he hasn't kept that oath."

"You know Russia doesn't carry through with things like that," Eduard whispered, "That is just how he is."

The silence that followed was filled with pained thought, as if all three were wondering what else Russia hadn't told them.

"Although," Ravis began again, a sad smile on his face forming, "My people didn't give up. They lined in silent protest instead, and even Russia can't stop peaceful riots like that."

"Your people are strong, Latvia, just as you are," Toris reassured. Eduard nodded in agreement.

"May I ask of my people?" Eduard asked, his voice quiet with fear of was what to come.

Latvia sucked in a breath. _I need to apologize to him about earlier today… But this is more important to him right now._ He thought back to the many papers in Russian he had looked over as quickly as he could before Russia had entered the office.

"I think… your people have been resisting Russia's control over your central government. I don't remembered whether or not it was successful. I'm sorry."

Estonia looked as if he had been slapped in the face.

"Russia didn't tell me my own government has been trying to gain freedoms from _his_?" he fumed, running his fingers through his hair angrily, "How can he not tell me this?! That… That is what controls me, you know! 'Oh, Estonia! I forgot to mention that your _freaking government _may change!' _Mu Jumal!"_

Lithuania stepped up to place a sympathetic hand on Eduard's shoulder, who was trying to calm down.

"I-I'm sorry, _brālis._"

Estonia looked at Ravis tiredly.

"Why are you apologizing? It's not your damn fault…" he muttered.

Latvia wrung his hands. _I hope he accepts the apology… I have been feeling guilty all day…_

"Well, I-I'm sorry a-about this morning. I r-really didn't mean it. You are nothing l-l-like Russia. I know that now…" Ravis stumbled on his words. He was too worried that his brother would reject his apology.

Estonia blinked. Now looking concerned, he shook his head thoroughly.

"Latvia, I'm not mad at that anymore," Estonia sighed, "I should've been more responsible at that time. That shouldn't have affected me."

Lithuania stared blankly at the two.

"Wait, what happened?"

"It was nothing, it is over now," Estonia breathed.

"Paldies," Ravis smiled.

"Loomulikul."

Toris cleared his throat, clearly not in the conversation anymore, and prompted a new topic.

"Did you see anything else, Latvia?"

The uncertainty on Ravis's face signaled a _Yes. _

"There has been some deadly riots in Sukhumi, Abkhaz ASSR. From what I glimpsed at, a lot of people have died there…" Ravis trailed off. The fact that so many people under Russia were dying disturbed the teen.

Estonia swore under his breath. "The fall of the SU is finally happening, isn't it?" he muttered.

"Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan are all wanting to leave," Toris provided.

Latvia took a second to tie that explanation into yesterday's events.

"Was that why I saw you walking down the steps with Russia?" the smallest Baltic questioned. A nod was his answer.

_I knew they were talking together, _Latvia thought, _So Toris was just lying? Did Russia force him to lie? Maybe I should've not brought up that at dinner…_

"Wait, Toris, was that what you were discussing with Poland?" Estonia questioned.

"Poland?" Ravis repeated confusedly.

Lithuania rubbed his knuckles unconsciously.

"Yes, well, I wanted him to know what was going on here," Toris clarified, "Maybe the other countries would recognize what is going on in Russia if he told the members of the UN… _If _he tells the United Nations… _Jis geriau…"_

"When did you call—" Latvia began.

The wind outside hit the window with a great slam, snapping the countries to attention. As if timed, the three all exhaled the breath they had been holding.

"A lot of people want to leave… What about the other countries of the SU? What are they thinking?" Estonia wondered.

Ravis had no comment— he had only seen a little of the folder.

"Mr. Russia… He had spoke of Ukraine and Belarus's wish to leave…" Lithuania offered.

"Russia's _sisters?" _Estonia repeated incredulously, "His own family? I mean, I knew Ukraine's boss didn't want her near Russia as much anymore, but _Belarus? _The one who would repeat "Mary me!" a hundred thousand times? The world is really falling apart isn't it…"

Latvia screwed up his eyebrows in thought.

"But…" he began, trying to collect his thoughts, "If— if _they _are all wanting to be free of Russia… Why… Why aren't we trying to get our freedom?"

Beside him, Lithuania visibly tightened. Estonia's nervous tick began as he started to tap his leg with his forefinger.

"It's because…" Lithuania tried, "Because… _Dievas _the only reason I can think of is that he holds us in _his _home and we are literally under his watch and care 24/7. They have different homes. He only visits the southern home twice a week. He is different than the guards he sends to watch over the over countries…"

"But shouldn't we try?" Latvia insisted, "Estonia, you understand, right? You want independence and solitary moments in your life. And Lithuania, you want to see your people more than once every five years, correct? I want to be able to use my language fully again, and fly my flag, and say "hi!" to my friends in Western Europe. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Latvija, you know we can't just declare our independence like that… You know what has happened before," Toris breathed, balling his fists up at the memory, "But… If we maybe… If we asked for our independence gradually, it might work."

Those words made Ravis beam. The song that he had sang earlier this morning came to mind.

"The songs!" Latvia realized excitedly, "The song I was humming! I know you felt it too Estonia! We can do it peacefully… We don't have to be violent. Our people are wishing that we would get up and do something!"

Instead of keeping it to himself, he softly spoke:

"_When the clock strikes the towers for voice, sea captures the freedom movement. That fate and life of three brothers from now: Wake up in the Baltic countries. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia!"_

Latvia's heart soared when he recited their names. This was it. This could be their act of defiance to Russia.

"I don't know why I am not scared, or why I stopped stuttering when I speak of something that could get us punished…" Latvia swallowed, "But whatever the reason, it is finally making me feel alive, and I want to hold onto that feeling for as long as I can."

"It is your people, Latvia," Lithuania answered. Getting up, Lithuania walked to their closet for some, unknown reason. Both Ravis and Eduard watched with intrigue as Toris pulled out a large cardboard package.

"Wh-what is that?" Estonia asked.

Toris walked to Ravis with the box in hand and held it out to him. Confused, Latvia accepted it.

"A package came in today, luckily I was able to get it before Russia could see," Lithuania explained, "It was addressed to Ravis Galante."

Latvia blinked stupidly.

"Why would someone send me something?" Ravis thought aloud.

Estonia was intrigued. Gravitating towards their brother, Estonia and Lithuania watched as Latvia picked at the tape that sealed the box shut. Ripping the first strip off, Ravis stared at the unopened box.

_You are shaking. _

Indeed he was. His small hands that hovered over the flaps of the box shook with great excess, but his brothers didn't question it.

_Open it._

Slowly, he obeyed and unsealed the box. His thoughts were overwhelmed. Choking on a sob, Ravis shakily reached for one of the contents. It was a pure red rose— dethorned and beautiful.

_With all of the craziness of the day, I had forgotten. _

It smelled sweet, like it had been freshly picked from a green, luscious garden. But that wasn't why Ravis was crying. His heart had been graciously lifted by his people— they had remembered when he, a _country, _had not.

Memories came flooding in.

_"Stop! D-Don't take them away!"_

_ Latvia sank to his knees beside Russia. _

_ "Mom! Dad!"_

_ "Dārgais! No, please don't!"_

_ So many were being taken away. They were being shipped like cargo. To a place that would end their life. _

_ "STOP!" Latvia screamed, grabbing onto Russia's leg in desperation, "Do you n-not see what you are doing? They are going to die! STOP IT RUSSIA!"_

_ His people were already boarding the train, screams erupting from children who had been separated from their parents, from lovers who wouldn't see each other ever again. _

_ "Stalin says they must go far away. Stalin says they were being bad. Stalin says Latvia was being bad." Russia echoed, his voice edged with insanity._

_ "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no… Russia, don't you see what you are doing?" Latvia sobbed._

_ "Stalin is always right, da?" _

He snapped back from horrid memory when he felt arms slip around him from his left. His eyes were too blurry to easy who it was.

"Shh, oh Latvia, it's ok," a voice soothed. A hand rubbed his back comfortingly.

"M-my people," Latvia blubbered, "Th-they are why I have th-the courage. I-I can't do th-this without them."

Another caring hug came from his right.

"T-today, I-I knew s-something was strange a-about today," Ravis began, clutching the rose to his chest, "They were commemorating S-S-Stalin's mass deportation of m-my people. Th-they remembered, they c-cared. How have I-I gotten to a state wh-where I can't remember things l-like this i-in my history?"

Tears enveloped the rest of his speech. He felt the two on either side of him rock his body back and forth.

"I-I know that it is hard to remember things here," Toris whispered, guilt racking his voice, "But, I-I _promise _you, _brolis, _that w-we will get out of here and we will never have to cry away from our homes ever again."

Ravis shook—burying himself into the body behind him.

"We will stand up, Latvia. We will rise and never need a crutch to support us," Estonia breathed.

_We will gain our independence, _Latvia thought as he gripped the rose tighter near his heart.

**Translations:**

**Obéd: Russian lunch that is considered the most important meal of the day. Russians usually get an hour lunch break (between 1 or 3 PM) **

**Kulebyaka: a Russian dish that is a fish pie with vegetables, rice and salmon, but is traditionally made with sturgeon spine. Waaaaah…? I know. Eat traditionally folks: it is way more interesting. **

**_Leedu: _****Lithuania (Estonian) **

**Brolis: Brother (Lithuanian) **

**_Kvailys: _****Idiot (Lithuanian)**

**Lollpea: Dumbass (Estonian) **

** Brālis: Brother (Latvian) **

**Mu Jumal!: My God! (Estonian) **

**Paldies: Thank you (Latvian)**

**Loomulikul: Of course (Estonian)**

**_Jis geriau: _****He better (Lithuanian)**

**_Dievas: _****God (Lithuanian)**

**Latvija: Latvia (Lithuanian) **

**_Dārgais: _****Dear (Latvian)**

**History:**

**Latvian Protests: November 18, 1987, hundreds of policemen and civilian militiamen cordoned off the central square to prevent any commemoration at the Freedom Monument, who were celebrating Latvian independence back in 1918. However thousands lined the streets of Riga in silent protest. **

**Estonia Resists Russian Central Government: In November of 1988, legislatures in Estonia passed laws resisting the control of the central government. **

**Sukhumi Riots: A riot in July of 1989 in Sukhumi, Abkhaz ASSR concerning the tensions between them and the Georgians. Civil unrest and street fighting later occurred from this event. The Soviet army managed to temporarily bring the situation under control, but the loss was ****_very _****heavy. 18 were reported dead and 448 injured. I foreshadowed this very subtly a few chapters ago**

**Latvia's Song: I have had him sing this once before, but this song is just so perfect for the Baltics! It is called Atmostas Baltija.**

**Flowers at the Freedom Memorial: In Latvia on June 14, 1987, to commemorate the mass deportation of Latvians to Siberia in 1941, 5,000 people laid flowers at the Freedom Memorial. Authorities didn't crack down on this protest, so that was why I had Ravis's people send him the flowers and have no interference with Russia. He deserved to have a moment with his people, even if he physically wasn't with them.**

**Author's Note:**

**Guys! Thank you guys so much for the support and amazingly nice reviews. I'm still in shock that this story is getting so many reads. You guys are all over the world- I just found out that there is people from the Baltic States that is actually reading this story! :O I am really sorry if I am butchering any of these languages- they are all regrettably from Google Translate. My friend speaks Russian, but I don't want to keep asking her for translations.**

**Anyways, what do you think? Review and keep checking to see if I updated, I know that I am really inconsistent with when I post and how long the chapters are. You guys are the bomb!**

**Thanks! (Sorry for making this the longest a/n ever) **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! I think this a pretty acceptable chapter: it is from the POV of Russia (another one!) Thanks for reading!**

Russia held his head in his hands. The muscles in his arms hurt—_Maybe I'm getting old… _No, he knew the reason why he was so worn out and tired. But he put that in the back of his mind. Instead, he was happy that things in the house had settled. Yesterday wasn't supposed to happen… He had lashed out…

But it was alright. Litva had said he was fine and had reassured Ivan. Now, it was a new day. The snowstorm had calmed this morning when Russia had woken, this time _on _schedule instead of earlier when he had found Litva…

_Today is new day, don't think about that. _Russia rehearsed.

Yes, the snow was calming. Maybe the rest of Russia's countries would calm and come to their senses with the new change in weather.

Russia stared at the pile of paperwork he had stacked in front of him. _Sign the papers, get it over with… _Russia had to force himself to read over the long documents, before approving or disproving them. But, being such a big union, Ivan had to manage this with _all_ of his countries. The Northern house, the Southern house, his sisters… It was a big job handling them all.

_I care for them, so I will push through these papers! _Russia hummed to himself, _Maybe if they see how much I am working for them they will be happy too. _

He had gotten a fourth through his first stack of paperwork when a feeble knock came from his door. _Liet? _Was Ivan's first thought. The other two almost never came to his office, so he didn't see why they would suddenly show up. Only if he called for Estonia and tiny Latvia would they appear at his office. But Litva on the other hand, he called for a lot. The Baltic understood more than anyone else did.

"_Vvedite." _

The door slowly opened, and to Russia's surprise, it wasn't Litva but _all _the Baltics.

"You all are here?" Russia stated questionably.

His amethyst eyes passed over the three. First, they stared at Litva, who was trying to make him seem as tall as he could by standing up straight. His face had a mixed look of determination… and a hint of ever-present nervousness. Though his posture was poise, Russia could see his foot bob up and down.

Estonia… He looked the same. Estonia always managed to look as formal and proper when around Ivan. Russia didn't expect any less from him though, since the Baltic chuckled himself out of things or held himself completely stoic.

And little Latvia. Russia wanted to smile, since his smallest underling was trying _very _hard not to shake, causing him to look like a petrified rabbit. But, Ivan knew it was not the time for smiling, since even though the trio appeared terrified, they still looked intent on doing something.

"What do my little Baltics want?" Russia asked, his voice smooth and childish.

Latvia jolted fearfully, but didn't say anything. A long silence drew out between the group.

"Mr—" Lithuania finally began.

"If you have nothing to say, then there are things to be done in the house, da?" Ivan interjected, his voice loud enough to cover Lithuania's.

"D-Da!" squeaked Latvia, who began to turn almost robotically, but Estonia stopped him. The two whispered furiously before Lithuania spoke.

"Mr. Russia, we have a request. It i-is important to us," Litva confessed, making his voice strong and clear.

Ivan took in a breath, rubbing his gloved hands slowly.

_They want to ask for something._

_ It's independence. _

_ They could be asking for better rooms. _

_ It's independence. _

_ But Litva promised—_

_ It's __**independence.**_

****Russia stared right at the country in question, who was truly keeping his ground.

"What is this… _request _of yours," Ivan said slowly, almost spitting the word _request _out.

The three for a long moment; Latvia now unable to keep his trembling under control, Estonia looking as taciturn as ever, and Lithuania, who was not showing off his usual smile and instead firmly staring at Russia through those pools of emerald.

"We were wanting—" _They are going to leave. _

Ivan stood up from his chair, folding his arms like a father would to a disobedient child. Lithuania halted his words, his eyes showing fear, but the rest of his body as stiff as a rock. His brothers, on the other hand, were physically showing their uncomfortableness.

"Da, Litva?" Russia taunted, his voice ice cold.

_Please, Liet, prove to me that I'm wrong. Prove to me that you aren't like the others._

Lithuania seemed to shudder at his pet name. After regaining his composure, he took a breath, much like Russia, and continued.

"S-Sir, we want our language to be recognized and our individual flags back."

All three Baltics visibly tightened, watching Russia for his next move.

_What…? _

Russia furrowed his eyebrows, quite confused, but his anger started to rise up. He swallowed the initial irritation and clenched his jaw in attempt to not lash out. Litva seemed to notice this physical change and slowly slipped from his strong self-image. Russia seemed to notice _his _physical change and smiled sweetly. He had the upper hand of this argument. Well, he _always _did, but Russia still found it nice to feel in power.

"Why would you need _that _when you have Russian and the flag of the Soviet Union?" Russia's voice mimicked a taunting child.

Slowly, he rounded the office desk so that he was parallel with it.

"We want," Lithuania tried, his speech faulty, "Our _people _want to be able to say that we are still nations."

Another large step. Latvia face was bleached white, his eyes looking at the floor. Estonia sucked in his lips, biting on them nervously as Russia neared.

_They want independence. _

"But you are one with Mother Russia, are you not?" Russia questioned with an absurd amount of innocence, "You are no longer—"

"We are _still _nations, Mr. Russia," Lithuania interrupted, his hands unclenching and clenching, "We represent our nations, so we are, in fact, _still _nations."

_HE wants independence. Litva. The one you have showed all of your secrets to. _

_ No. No. No. No. Litva wouldn't do that. _

_ Would he?_

Ivan took another step. They were less than a meter and half apart. Ivan didn't even notice Latvia's shaking or Estonia's slightly quivering lip.

_Litva is the one that matters. He matters to this home. _

The voices in his head seemed to grow louder, and his childish façade slowly slipped into his true, violent self.

"Why do you want this all of the sudden, Litva? Why do you want to leave?" Russia growled, edging closer.

"I never said _we_ wanted to leave. Our people are asking so _we _will comply," Lithuania answered automatically.

_One meter. _

_ Don't hurt him._

_ He needs to know his place._

_ Back away before you do something you regret. _

"Litva, you care for your people. You would do anything for them, right?" _Too late now, "_Even something like this? You are smarter than your people, da? You wouldn't listen to such silly things? Lithuania is smart. That was why I chose you over Poland, right?"

"I represent my people. I am smart as they are," he corrected. But his voice had gone soft. _I have him. _

"As do I," a voice spoke from Russia's left. He turned sharply to it, surprised to see Estonia as the owner of the voice. Ivan had forgotten the other Baltics.

"I-I-I r-represent my p-people too."

_Latvia? _Of all the stuttering people in the world, Russia couldn't _believe _that Latvia was able to speak like that.

The words of his two brothers seemed to make Lithuania appear more in control. He straightened himself against Russia.

"Please, Russia."

Russia could feel his body numb. They weren't asking for independence, but their mere presence in the protest made Russia feel… a bit more powerless.

_I can't let myself slip. I am Russia. I am the motherland. I won't fall. I won't fall…_

But for some reason, Ivan felt the need to just _sit down. _His energy felt like it had been drained, and his head was swimming. The image that the Baltics saw, though, was still as firm and tough as usual.

"Will that make my Baltic's happy?" Russia sighed. Gazing at all three of them, he already knew the answer.

"Taip."

"Jah."

"Jā."

Russia closed his eyes, and turned away from the Baltic States. Slowly, he walked to his desk. Grabbing a key that hung from his neck, Ivan unlocked the top, left hand drawer. Neatly folded, the three Baltic's flags stared up at him.

_Is this right?_

_ It is just a little flag…_

Carefully, Russia picked them all up at once and closed the drawer. Three sets of eyes were trained on the flags that he held. He went to Latvia first.

"Treat this freedom wisely," he told the small country as he handed him the item. Apprehensively, Latvia accepted the gift and it was as if the flag washed away his tremors. Ravis's eyes danced all over the two colors, as if he saw more than red and white.

"Thank you, sir," he whispered, holding the fabric delicately.

Russia then moved to Estonia, who looked at Russia right in the eyes. Russia monotonously repeated the same phrase. Without looking down, Estonia took the flag and didn't stop looking at Russia as he neared Lithuania.

_Lithuania, you aren't looking timid anymore. _

"Lithuania, you will stay here for a moment, da?" Russia ordered, his voice still flat as a line.

"Wait, please Mr.—" Estonia tried, understanding what the situation was turning into.

"Lithuania will be _staying," _Russia repeated, irritation filling the words, "Do not think because I have granted you your flags and languages back that you are suddenly going to violate orders."

"I understand, Mr. Russia, but Lith—" Estonia attempted again.

"Am I _clear, _Estonia?" Russia growled. The Baltic blinked a few times, his mouth swishing in clear nervousness, and decided on giving a pleading glance to Lithuania. He nodded his head, giving a small smile of encouragement.

"Da, Sir," Estonia almost spat.

Ivan waited patiently as Estonia sent a glare his way, grabbed Latvia, and left the office. The bang of the door was hearty 'Goodbye' to Russia's hospitality.

Russia strolled back to his desk, still holding the yellow, green and red flag, and sat in the large, comfy chair. Ivan didn't speak, he instead recollected the last couple days as Lithuania waited in silence.

"You are a good subordinate, Litva," Russia began, laying the flag flat on the desk, "You work hard to please me, you keep your brothers in line, you listen to me… You do exactly as one should."

Lithuania stood silently with his eyes on the flag.

"But why do you now do this, when you _know _I am most weak? Have your brothers influenced you to speak for them? Did Poland put you up to this?" Russia voice was loosing its anger and replacing it with unsteady hope.

_Please, Litva, prove to me that you aren't going to be like the others._

Russia stared expectantly at the other nation.

"No, Ivan, I… I'm doing this for _my _people, like I said before," Lithuania explained with a hint of frustration. He opened his mouth to say more, but quickly thought against it. He resolved on staring at the flag again.

Ivan tapped his clasped hands to his chin.

"Do you think I am a bad caretaker, Litva?" he asked suddenly.

Lithuania was physically thrown off guard. He gave Russia a stunned look, not expecting a question like that at _all. _Shaking his head, Lithuania tried to reply.

"Ivan, I'm not in the right place to say something like—"

"No, I want to hear it," Russia pushed, immediately thinking back to when he accidently hurt Litva yesterday.

_What do you think of me, Litva? Am I a monster?_

A dark part of Russia's mind whispered _Of course you are. _

Lithuania, on the other hand, looked completely engrossed in deciding a correct answer. Russia watched intently as he opened his mouth to speak.

"You are as good of a person as your boss is."

Ivan's mouth fell partially open. What? My boss… But boss is always right, right?

_Yes. _

_ No._

_ Yes._

_ Listen to Litva. _

_ Don't. _

"Is that so…" Russia took some time to contemplate this. It didn't take long for a minute to turn into five, and slowly into ten before anyone said a word.

_Should I punish him for coordinating this? Would that be what boss would do?_

_ What would I do?_

_ Am I a good person if I didn't have a boss? _

_ Is my boss a good person? _

_ Is Lithuania a good person? _

_ Of course, of course. _

_ Then what _am _I? _

When Ivan snapped away from his thoughts, he noticed Litva was still there. He hadn't moved or spoken, but just let Russia think in solitude.

_If it had been the other two, they would've already left. _

Lithuania was the closest to a 'perfect nation' of the Soviet Union one could get, wasn't he? He couldn't let this one slip through his fingers… Unlike the other countries who were so close to splitting off from the Union.

_Would proving my strength against him make him stay closer or distance him even more?_

Russia stared at the Baltic until letting out a large sigh.

"Lithuania, you may take your flag."

His emerald eyes glanced up at Russia timidly. Russia watched as he slowly took a few steps towards the desk, and carefully picked the fabric up. His eyes looked as if they reflected his flag— his irises were shockingly green with dots of gold. Ivan watched in some kind of curiosity. It had been a while since he had seen Litva's eyes so bright.

"Litva, what do you see in your flag? What makes it so special— two of its colors are in the Soviet flag, are they not?" Russia asked with true interest.

The nation blinked, pulled away from his trance, and swallowed.

"Well, my people, they want to recognize _all _of the colors," he began, swallowing a second time, "They all have meaning to both me and Lithuanians."

Russia furrowed his eyebrows.

"Litva cares for such symbolic things? I didn't know that about you," Russia murmured, making Lithuania step back in embarrassment.

Another long silence stretched out for a moment.

Russia was thinking. He was thinking pretty hard too, about his country. What did they think anymore? He couldn't remember the last time he asked them…

Breaking the stillness, Ivan turned to the opened drawer, where he kept the prized flags, and dug out one and laid it on the table. He looked over the tricolor flag, his mouth swishing as he tried to remember its significance. _White, Blue, and Red… _

"Do you see any meaning in this flag, Liet?" Russia questioned the Baltic, who was staring wide-eyed at the original flag.

It took a moment for Lithuania to figure out that the question wasn't rhetorical.

"Well, Sir, _I _wouldn't be able to see the meaning, since it is _your_ flag, but I do see that it holds a lot of importance in it," Lithuania replied, "It holds your history and your people and your l-leaders."

Russia stared at the three colors again, and tilted his head, still trying to decipher the meaning behind it after having the Soviet Union's flag marched in his face so many times.

"I don't know what it means, Litva, but I do know one thing. This was the same flag I had when I got to introduce you and your brothers into the family!" Russia smiled heartily, ignoring Lithuania's uncomfortableness, "That was a happy time for me and the Baltics, da?"

Lithuania seemed to hold the flag closer to him, as if Russia were about to steal it away. But Russia didn't notice, no he was too happy that the Baltics were here, and _weren't _asking for independence and that he wasn't going to be alone again.

Shakily, a "Da" was the only response he got from the eldest Baltic.

The stood silently— Russia staring at Lithuania, and the latter looking at the floor. Ivan admired Lithuania's presence. Even after something as stressful as the Baltic's request, the same Baltic made Russia surprisingly calm.

Finally, Lithuania sucked in a breath and replaced his far-off look with a smile.

"Could I please place this in my room?" the subordinate asked with good intentions.

Russia could feel his heart twinge.

_He just wants to get away from you._

_ Litva is just being nice… _

"Yes, I have kept you long enough," Russia nodded in agreement, but clasp his hands decisively.

"Da, spasibo Sir," Lithuania thanked, bowing a little before turning to leave.

_Leave on this note. _

_ Make sure he knows he is still in the same place as he was before he was granted this. _

"Litva," Russia called, the second inner voice winning over, "This is a privilege, da? You aren't different in any way by receiving this, yes?"

Ivan waited for an answer, watching Lithuania slowly open the door. Turning to face Ivan with another smile, he was able to reaffirm;

"O-of course, Mr. Russia."

With no more input, Ivan waved him off and the Baltic soon left. The room seemed a little colder with just Russia there, and he pulled at his scarf to possibly keep the chilliness out. He looked at the flag in front of him with uncertain speculation.

What had Litva said? You are as good of a person as your boss is?

Russia shook his head, not liking the over excessive thought that the memory was bringing— he already had a mind-numbing headache. _I should have asked him to get me some tea… _It was too late now, so Russia sighed and turned back to his pile of paperwork.

**Translations:**

**_Vvedite: Enter_**

**_Taip; Jah; Jā: Yes (Lithuanian, Estonian, Latvian) _**

**History**

**Flags and Languages are granted to the Baltics (yay!): 1988 Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia flew their flags and Estonian, Lithuania, and Latvia were now nationally recognized languages. **

**Lithuanian Flag: Yellow= golden fields; Green= green countryside; Red= blood shed for the sake of Lithuania. The last color is a pretty good explanation to why Lithuania keeps the flag close to his heart- to remember those who he had lost in his long, hard life. **

**Soviet Union Flag: Hammer and Sickle represent the labor force of the SU while the Star represents the rule of the Communists**

**Russian Flag (Present Day/Peter the Great): White= either Belo-Russians, or generosity; Blue= Ukrainians, or loyalty; Red= Russians, or courage/love. There are different interpretations of the flag, so I put the general ones. **

** Peter the Great of Russia established this flag when he visited the Netherlands in 1699. Peter the Great was also apart of the Great Northern War in 1700-1721 against Sweden, and basically, the ending result was the transfer of the Baltic States to Russia's control (Their warm-water ports attracted a lot of people) Sad day for the Baltics :(**

**Author Notes:**

**Ok, writing multiple personalities and different personas are WAY more difficult then I ever imagined :O Russia is a complicated character to write the POV of… Yeesh.. Russia's inner workings is pretty messed up by now, he is basically just reassuring himself that they aren't going to leave.**

**Anyways: THANKS SO MUCH I love seeing reviews here, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :D I listened to this music while writing this chapter: ** watch?v=K97MupNhKKc **Really great, and the original song is so perfect for the Baltics. There is actually a CMV based on this song for mostly Lithuania, but it is SUPER hard to watch :( I cringed through the whole thing (aka emotional)**

**See you in a couple days! My birthday is on Friday, so you guys probably aren't getting a chapter for another week. Thanks and bye! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Yes, I am alive. Yes, I am sorry about not updating quick enough. ;_; Enjoy anyways! **

After the sudden declaration of their original flags and languages, the Baltics had slowly begun gaining the upper hand in Russia's house. Little things, like a broken teacup or a forgotten dish left unwashed, didn't send Russia into an eerie mood. Instead, the large nation began to wave things off and not deal with them. He was too _tired _to deal with trivial things like Latvia's clumsiness. Ivan, already accustomed to practically living in his office, was now there almost 24/7. Gorbachev continued to ask Russia to attend meetings that involved the Baltics and the others of the Soviet Union, but he was just too _busy. _The piles of reports and law requests and police informants were swarming his desk, causing the Russian to get little sleep.

Estonia and Latvia were quite happy that he was weakening so much. Lithuania on the other hand… The fact that arguably the most _terrifying _boss Toris had ever had to serve was tripping on his own feet and breathing heavily from just walking up the stairs bothered Toris terribly. He too was enjoying the freedoms that he had not experienced in a long time, like considerably longer lunch breaks and less interaction with Russia, but still, he was the only one of the Baltics to check inside the office every so often to make sure the man wasn't _dead. _

It had been like this for three days.

Toris was currently cleaning the stairs and its banister while his brothers were off doing their own duties. However, his mind was elsewhere.

Eduard had constantly mentioned to him that this was the perfect time to ask for independence in an ever so _discrete _manner. Every time, it had been hard to explain to Estonia that… that something was going to happen. Toris didn't know what or when, but he could feel the tension in the house beginning to creep back into the blood of Russia. He had been able to read Russia quite well in the past, and now with his emotions on display, Lithuania was pretty positive nothing had changed in that respect.

But, even if he _did _worry about almost everything, Toris had no real words to describe the feeling of being able to touch his flag again. It felt as if he were really home by the warm Baltic Sea. Oh how he missed the smell of salt, and his forests of green, and the temperature difference from the cold Russian home….

One day.

That day seemed so near with all of the new freedoms, but Lithuania felt like he was the only Baltic to realize that this was too good to be true. _Nothing _had been set in stone.

_Freedom would be nice though…._

Toris shook his head in attempt to clear those happy-but-distant thoughts.

_ "Prie jūros miega sesės trys Jis slegia pančiai, neviltis Klajoja lyg elgeta pajūriu Dvasia tautų garbės"_

Lithuania stopped cleaning. It was the voice of Latvia— and he was singing in his home language. It was soft, but loud enough to hear… But even that was dangerous.

_We are aloud to speak, not sing, Ravis! _Toris thought, getting up from his crouch, _Russia got mad last time. _

He knew that Latvia had been pushing the rules recently. Toris decided the whole incident with Russia had provoked some sort of rebellious nature that had been dormant in Ravis. Maybe it was the fact that he was still growing up, no matter how small he stayed. That part had been taken out of Latvia's life by his servitude… but even if he didn't deserve something like that….

_There is a limit. _

Hurrying down the steps and towards Ravis, Lithuania's footsteps were not the only pairs going towards the nation. There were a quick and light pair… and then a slow and distressed pair.

_Oh my God…_

Lithuania entered the library as fast as a walk could take him. Russia, the huge mass that he was, was slouched in the frame of the library doorway, but he blended into the dark of the room so well that Toris almost ran into him. Lithuania was quick to catch himself before he could slam into Ivan and shot his glance towards his brothers. Estonia was beside Latvia, who was still holding the books he was meaning to sort through. Eduard's eyes glared at Russia, who was looking tiredly back. Ravis was trying to act poised, but a little shaken.

"Don't come _near _my brother," Estonia ordered with contempt.

Lithuania's jaw dropped, horrified. How long had it been since _Eduard _had voiced something so… direct and powerful towards Russia?

_Is he crazy? _But Lithuania felt a wave of thankfulness that Estonia had reached Latvia before anything could've gone more wrong.

"I just heard a sweet voice, Estonia, that was all," Russia whispered hoarsely. He sounded so… defeated. It felt wrong— out of place.

"Sir, I am sorry that he was singing—" Lithuania began, trying to apologize.

_ "__Mu isamaa on minu arm, kell' südant annud ma, sull' laulan ma, mu ülem õnn, mu õitsev Eestimaa"_

Toris was stopped short by the strong and regal voice of Estonia. His brother didn't waver in his attempt to contribute to the rebellious act against Russia. The air was tense for a moment, and Lithuania stepped back in surprise when Eduard eyed him threateningly.

Lithuania gave an _Are you crazy?! _Face as a reply to his brother.

But then he realized….

This was the time and place for the singing revolution. This was what Latvia desperately wanted to portray, even if it had cost Lithuania to chant terrible things in a bathroom….

_No, _Lithuania thought, _Do this for your brothers. If Estonia supports Latvia, then I sure as hell will. _

Toris closed his eyes. Memories of his homeland flashed beneath the lids, giving him an image so bright and clear he felt as if he were in the country. Taking in a breath, words began to flow clearly;

_"Taip tyliai slenka vasaros, Pražydę gėlės vysta. Mes tyliai šluostom ašaras, Palaidoję jaunystę"_

Even if Russia was only a few feet away, Lithuania felt empowered. Opening his eyes, he walked to where his brothers stood and placed a reassuring hand on Ravis's shoulder. He felt both their eyes on him, but Toris was focusing his attention on Ivan, who was uncharacteristically quiet and unresponsive.

Those amethyst eyes, once bright with anger and cruelness were replaced by defeat. For some reason the word _betrayal _popped in Lithuania's head, but that couldn't be right. He wasn't betraying anyone. He was with his brothers, standing by his people. Their words grew as loud as the silence in the library.

Right?

Lithuania was really expecting a bad reaction from Russia. The man he despised half the time would overreact, maybe throw their privileges out the window, and make them work until they were too tired to fight back. The nation didn't do any of these things. Instead, he did the complete _opposite, _and turned to leave— his heavy boots sounding echoes throughout the hallway that led to his office.

The trio stood there, mystified, each still on edge and unease of what just happened. Did they successfully manage through _another _rebellion?

"W-we did it!" Ravis broke the silence in an excited whisper, "We a-actually pulled that off!"

Eduard breathed, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses.

"You _really _shouldn't of tried that alone, Latvia" Estonia muttered, trying to relax his worry lines.

"Latvia,_ please _promise me if you do another stunt like that again, it won't be a surprise? That we will plan and discuss it?" Lithuania added, still troubled by the fact that Russia was so calm.

_Something is terribly wrong._

"But did you see it?" Ravis tried, "He didn't say anything! That means he didn't care, right? This is the perfect time for escape right?"

"Ravis, this is _not _the place to be discussing this!" Lithuania whispered hurriedly, "We can talk all we want later, just, now is _not _the time!"

Estonia, who seemed to be thinking pretty hard, sighed again.

"Sometimes saying nothing is the worst kind of torture."

Lithuania bit his lip as he silently agreed with his brother's statement.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"But that was the only way it was going to happen!"

"Ravis, you were _alone."_

"Something could have happened to you if Estonia hadn't shown up."

"But did you see Russia? He let it happen! It was fine!"

"Ravis, Russia is unpredictable, alright? He lashes out randomly sometimes and it's impossible to track his movements."

"But—!"

"When he is like that you know he can hurt all of us."

"But—!"

"I know you think you know everything, but…"

"But what!" Ravis shouted, his hands clenched around the bed sheets. The sun was setting behind the horizon, causing gleams of filtered light to hit the teen's face. It was angry, angrier than Toris had seen in a while. He and Eduard were positioned on their bed facing Ravis, who still looked like he was going to punch the bed sheets.

"I don't see what we are waiting for!" Ravis continued, shaking his head in frustration, "He has _always _been able to hurt us, or control us, or mold us into perfect Soviet States, but now he is vulnerable and we should be able to take action!"

"It doesn't just _work _like that, Ravis!" Lithuania urged, "Sure we can declare our independence, but after that comes the paperwork and legal documents… That is when the real trouble starts. He can't decline us right when the words come out of our mouths, but as soon as it is over…. Russia still has control… It won't be easy for him to sign us off. You know how much we 'mean' to him…"

Eduard sat quietly. He looked as if he were checking over any possible strategies for their independence movement. Latvia, on the other hand, was just growing angrier.

"It's not _fair!" _he shouted suddenly, punching the pillow in front of him. Soon, his head slumped into the pillow and he began to cry with frustration. Lithuania looked at his younger brother with tired pity. Maybe he was too young to understand, but he certainly knew that Ravis had it point. It _wasn't _fair. This whole situation… none of them should be in it.

It had been too long.

"We do need to do something," Estonia agreed, finally taking away the tension of silence, "But I do want to do it efficiently. As Toris said, the process is hard, but if one of us at least shows him that we are serious about leaving…"

"But… He is in an unstable state right now. If we mention it now, he will more than likely hurt one of us," Toris whispered.

"Lithuania, if we do nothing, what will happen then? Will we just take this… this torture of staying in this house?" Estonia sighed, "We need to get out of here. Staying isn't an option anymore. I want to develop my country…. And if we stay with Russia, all we are going to do is stay in a serfdom like life, and that is _not _what I want for my land."

Lithuania began to wring his hands. He knew that they were right. He knew that they needed to get out. _He _didn't want to stay here either…. But Russia's attitude just wasn't right. Ivan had not lashed out, had not spoken to them, and had not disapproved of their actions towards freedom.

Something was terribly wrong.

_Can't anyone see that?_

At that moment, Toris noticed that the sun had slipped completely from their gaze and night had taken over. His eyelids seemed suddenly heavier, and he could feel this _tiredness _in his body that made him want to sleep. Now.

Letting out a sigh, Lithuania stared right at Estonia. His brother had that cold and strong look of determination, like he really, _really _wanted this to go underway.

_If it is to benefit these two… I can manage anything, right? _

"Let's sleep on this and begin to take action this week," Toris said finally, earning a nod of approval from Eduard and the resurfacing of Ravis, "I promise we will do something eventually. I can't say when, but it will happen."

The three began to take their places in the large bed— Eduard towards the wall, Ravis tucked in the center, and Toris facing the window where the cold usually originated. They were pretty silent, and it didn't take long before the soft snores of Ravis sounded in the silence of the room.

"We are getting out of here," Estonia whispered.

Lithuania stared out the window and couldn't help but notice there was no moon to be seen in the gray.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

_ What is this? Where am I?_

_ Lithuania looked around, seeing a sun-filled forest popping up around him. Trees with blanketing canopies covered Toris with green light. The ground smelt of life— shrubs, earth, sap, flowers— all filling him with a source of happiness. Animals could be heard in the forest; birds chirping, small creatures scurrying about, twigs snapping. The air was crisp and clean, as if it were just after a shower of rain. _

_ Lithuania sighed in happiness. This was home. This was his country. _

_ He imagined the crashing waves of the Baltic Sea and the color it would be in this season. Maybe he could visit soon…._

_ A drop of something landed on his face. Looking up, Toris was surprised to see snow beginning to fall. The snow began to fall more, but he noticed it wasn't white. It was gray… Almost like ash._

_ The sky that was once blue filled with this awful color and the temperature dropped to a chilling degree. Turning his gaze back to the forest and not the sky, Lithuania saw that the whole forest had silenced and was covered in the gray-white snow. A boy, whose scarf and hair almost blended in with the landscape, stood staring at Lithuania. _

_ He knew this boy._

_ He knew that hidden, sickly smile. _

_ Russia. _

_ "Ah, hello stranger," The child spoke. _

_ No, no, no. Lithuania could feel his body stiffen in fear. _

_ "I do not know about you, but I have a very hard time every day under Tartar's rule."_

_ This can't be happening again. _

_ "Yet mark my words, I will become crazy large country one day. I make promise to you when that happens, we will become good friends."_

_ Wake up._

Lithuania opened his eyes, almost yelping in fright of his dream. But something prevented him from doing that. Something tight was over his mouth and he struggled underneath the weight. Turning to the source, Toris's eyes widened immediately.

He struggled silently as he was pulled out of bed, trying to loosen the grip of the person behind him, but trying to stay silent in an attempt not to wake his brothers up. The person led him out of his room, the grip tight and firm as it steered him through the darkness.

_I am dead. _Lithuania thought, as the amethyst eyes pierced his own.

**History Notes: **

**Gorbachev: Ruler of the Soviet Union during the fall **

**Latvia's song: Atmostas Baltija**

**Estonia's song: Mu isamaa on mini arm **

**Lithuania's song: Jei ne auksinės vasaros **

**Baltic Way/Singing Revolution: The Baltics are pretty fricken amazing. Arguably one of the most inspirational, peaceful revolutions to ever occur (but hasn't been recognized! What the heck America!) is the Baltic Way. I didn't learn anything about this until I researched upon making this story, but I thought this would be a good lesson to you all. The Baltic Way was a chain of around 2 million people on August 23, 1989- all linking hands and singing, waving their countries flags, and just giving support to one another for the right to have their own countries. This stretched across all three countries who were silently demanding their freedom. It is so amazing to research. I recommend watching these videos if you are interested: watch?v=UKtdBAJGK9I (or just search Baltic Way into YouTube) or watch?v=Gh7vFFjK0rc. Both are interesting and informative. **

**Author's Notes: **

**I'm so sorry ;_; I haven't been on here for a while now (2 weeks instead of 1) because I have been SO BUSY. I just had my birthday, successfully got my driver's license, and passed an AP Euro test. Whew. **

**I have semi big news: I am going to my first comic con on Halloween! So, if you are going to Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles, I might see you there! My cousin is a comic artist and is trying to get his own comic sold, so I am helping him :) (Plus I want to see everything!) His name is Joshua Chinsky, and if you want to check him out, his website is #!story/c23nj and his main comic is Isle of Madness. (It's a little gory btw). **

**My playlist for this chapter included Trumpets Music Box version ** watch?v=Yw9NZELKmtA&amp;index=13&amp;list=UUc6q3iNqUuovcGSrVm63Urg **and Russia's lullaby theme ** watch?v=wNR0bk6FDJs **for that flashback/dream thing at the end. **

**Anyways, thank you guys so much for your support and thanks for waiting for another installment of Rise and Fall! I will probably update this weekend since I might write on the plane ride to LA! Thanks! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry I haven't been on here in a while! This is a pretty intense chapter, so enjoy! Lithuania's and Estonia's POV**

Toris had felt fear _many _times in his life. He had felt it when being independent, he had felt nervousness when being 'married' to Poland, and he had _definitely _experienced it under Russia's control. But, now underneath the hold of the icy-cold man, Toris was pretty sure he had never experienced such fear before. The fact that Russia had stolen him from the privacy and comfort of his own _room_, which the man had never done before, from right under his brothers' noses, was _terrifying. _

Ivan freezing hands were both wrapped around his mouth to prevent him from screaming for help and on the back of his neck to steer him towards Russia's room.

_Oh God, Oh God. Dieve! _

Horrid images flashed before Lithuania's eyes of what would happen when they reached the room. _No, no, no, no! _Suddenly, he tried very hard to escape. He threw himself forward in an attempt to loosen the man from his body. Yanking an arm free, Toris tried throwing off Russia's iron grip on the rest of his body. Ivan's purple eyes gleamed darkly in the black of the hallway. Just that look sent immediate shivers down Lithuania's spine.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry for anyone to save him. Lithuania was known to not ask much of others, but at the moment he _prayed _that someone were there to save him from an inevitable fate. Soon his thrashing was ceased when Russia kicked the inside of his knee, causing the smaller nation to stumble. Taking advantage of the situation, Russia easily regained control of Toris's arm movement and now hustled the man faster.

Toris, now blind with tears of anger, fear, and pain, had no choice but to follow.

Ivan's all too familiar room came sooner than Lithuania would've liked. The man behind him didn't say anything but instead just let him go and shoved him into the darkness of the room.

Trying to regain his balance, Lithuania gasped and sunk into the darkness. A click of a lock told Toris that this was _serious. _The towering figure of Russia breathed heavily as he flicked on a light, causing the nation to wince.

"Wh-what is this about, Ivan?" Toris sputtered, tensing up as the nation neared him. Russia stopped his pursuit, but Lithuania knew better than to relax.

"What was your whole stunt about, Litva?" Russia growled, the threat open, but scratchy as his voice was hoarse, "Tell me, _please _Litva, why did you do what they did? Why were you under their influence?"

It didn't sound sweet and childish, but a true threat. The fact that his demeanor changed so rapidly frightened the Baltic nation. Lithuania backed up, actually scared to the point of wanting to scream.

_But if you scream, then your brothers will wake up. _Toris thought hurriedly, _He would be able to hurt them… So keep quiet. _

"I-I-I, sir, I wasn't under any influence," Lithuania stuttered.

"But, you are being so _defiant _and it is making me wonder if what you have been telling me is just lies…" Russia looked off for a moment, as if he were going through something in his mind, "You have been helpful to me and now _they _are causing you to be swayed by… by independence."

Lithuania tensed at the word.

"No, _no _Ivan," Toris tried, shaking his head, "That was my decision, I wasn't influenced by anyone! They aren't a problem, Russia!"

Russia chuckled darkly.

"But they _are, _Litva. They are pulling you away. What would I be without my Baltics?"

"You'd still be Russia!" Toris urged, backing up into the wall as Ivan neared, "Even if we weren't here, it would still be the same—"

"No it _wouldn't _Lithuania!" Russia roared, reaching Toris and catching the smaller nation's wrists into his hands. Toris struggled blindly, the fear of an angry Russia rushing into his system like a drug. "MY boss was right! You are trying to escape. You are trying to be independent!"

"Y-You _have_ been speaking with your boss?" Lithuania gasped in place of a shriek when Ivan tightened his grip.

Russia eyed him, furious.

"Yes, and he has been _right. _He has been telling me that you'd want to leave, just like all the others, but I didn't think it was possible," He laughed bitterly, shoving Lithuania back against the wall, "MY Litva? No, there was no way he was going to leave… But you stood by them as they openly acted against me! How wrong was I to believe those lies!"

"R-Russia," Toris managed to sputter, "They a-are my brothers. I am th-there to protect them n-n-no matter what."

"So it _is _them, huh?" Russia hissed, "Answer me, Litva!"

Lithuania slammed into the back wall with a stifled moan as Ivan urged for an answer.

"Y-you would do the same for your s-sisters," Lithuania countered, as he struggled past the spots in his vision, "E-Estonia and Latvia are _my _b-brothers—"

"And am _I _not apart of your family?" Russia bellowed, probably waking up the whole nation at the severity of his voice, "Are we not one family?"

Toris winced against the words, trying his hardest not to shrink back any further, and said icily;

"You think _this _is a family?"

Ivan's glare hardened at Lithuania's defiance.

"Y-you think that I want this, Russia? You pulled me by force more than once from my independence and you just expect everything to be _okay?" _Toris shook his head in disgust. He was too far-gone to quit his speech, "I am in fear every day because you have the ability to do whatever you want with me and my people! With my brothers and _their _people! How can you say that we are a family?! Do you believe that Georgia thinks he is in your family? Do you think your sisters are in your family? Do you think that your precious little Baltic's are too—"

By that time, Lithuania had been so filled with anger that he had almost forgotten the upper hand Russia possessed until a whirling punch landed in his gut. The air whoosed out and left the Baltic breathless for a terrifying moment, before his eyes went wide and he collapsed on the ground. Heaving, the poor nation didn't have enough time to react when another blow came to his ribs from Russia's boot.

This time, Toris was able to yell out in pain, finally gasping for breath as his lungs screamed. _I said too much, _Lithuania thought, not before another blow came, _I knew he wasn't in a good mood, I had sensed it and look what happened!_

He knew he shouldn't have yelled out in pain. Toris didn't want Russia to have satisfaction in this, nor did he want his brothers coming to his "rescue". But it almost seemed necessary, since his body ached in the way that it did.

Lithuania tried to get up. Breathing heavily, the Baltic country slowly pulled himself to his knees before he felt a heavy boot rest forcefully on his back. Toris couldn't hold the wait of both of them, so he crumpled underneath the boot.

The whimper escaped his lips before he had a chance to stop it.

_No. No! _Lithuania thought, _I can't let this be. I am done for anyways, I might as well push all my cards out. _

"R-R-Russia," he croaked, sending a glare up at those amethyst jewels, "Is this what you call a f-f-family?"

Ivan stopped, his frame ridged. Unlike what Toris had hoped, those purple eyes didn't melt into pity or forgiveness, but instead hardened even more.

Lithuania swallowed back his wheezy breathing.

_I can do this, even now. It is better that it is now. He is not going to let me go on this one._

"I declare my independence."

It had not taken long for Estonia to hear the loud shouts from the other room. He jolted awake, his body now alert as he heard the not so distant yells and grunts.

"_STOP!" _roared a beast, shaking the whole house— through the floorboards, along the covers, and up into Estonia's spine.

"Eek!" Latvia yelped beside him, now awakened, and jumped into a defensive ball.

_It's not a beast, it is Russia, _Estonia thought as he filled with dread. _But then again, what is the difference?_

"Wh-where is Toris?" Latvia squeaked, pointing out the empty space near his side. The other Baltic's heart dropped into his stomach.

_Mu Jumal! _

Another eruption of noise and shouts occurred. Ravis screamed in surprised, while Eduard jumped to his feet.

"Toris!" Estonia cried, not caring if Russia heard him.

The dark halls made Estonia trip and stumble, but the nation kept running. His brother was with Russia in the middle of the night. _Mu jumal! _Finally arriving to where the noise derived, Eduard's heart dropped lower as he realized he was standing before Russia's double doors. Fear for Russia was almost completely covered with fear for Lithuania's life, and the Baltic shook the handle and lock with all of his might.

"OPEN THIS DOOR RUSSIA!" Estonia screamed.

"ESTONIA!" cried the voice of his brother from inside.

"LITHUANIA!"

Another yell and scream erupted from the room, causing Eduard to pound and kick louder. The sounds became muffled, and Russia's quick and low words were too quiet for the Baltic to make out, so instead, Estonia resolved on hitting the door with as much force possible in his skinny body.

"LITHUANIA!" He tried again, scared out of his mind for his brother. There were the shoves and bangs of furniture, but no more cries from Toris or Russia. Finally, a door slammed shut from within and all was silent but muffled words.

_Mu Jumal, did he kill him? _Estonia felt as if he were going to throw up, _No, no, no, no this wasn't supposed to happen. What has happened here? How is my brother? _

"Toris!" Eduard cried, but his words had slipped into a sob. How could he let this happen? How could he be so ignorant to see his brother disappear before him?

The door suddenly swung open, causing Estonia to trip on his own feet and stumble back into the hallway wall. Estonia's blue eyes widened at the sight of the towering figure. Russia's body was shadowed and his huge body shivered with anger. His face had fury etched into every detail— his eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes were stone cold, and his lips were pulled into a scowl. Before the smaller nation could even speak, Russia slammed his door closed and began walking down the hallway.

Trying to get over the immediate trepidation Eduard felt coursing through his body, he raced after the hulking man.

"Russia, what have you done to my brother!" Estonia screamed after him, but he received no reply. The nation had already begun to descend the stairs and Estonia kept following in pursuit.

"RUSSIA!" Estonia tried again, his voice now frantic as the nation made it to the door. Racing down the steps, the Baltic tried to catch the man, who was beginning to tie his winter boots.

"SIR—"

Estonia gasped as the man launched his hand at the Baltic's throat. Crashing into the back wall, Estonia was momentarily blinded as his glasses flew off his face. The gloved fingers squeezed lightly around his throat and cut off most of the cold air.

_No! _Estonia thought dizzily, _I, I can't go like this…_

Eduard kicked his legs out, to which Russia only responded with a tighter squeeze.

"You will not defy me any longer, Estonia," Russia growled, "You will not talk of independence or talk to anyone about that matter. If I so _hear _that word, _Ya tebya ub'yu_."

Estonia's vision, as bad as it was already, was fading from the lack of air.

"That is clear, da?" Russia pressed.

"D-D-Da" the Estonian stammered.

With that, Russia dropped the nation, leaving him sputtering for breath on the floor. Air finally found its way back into Estonia's lungs. Coughing harshly, he looked up as Russia disappeared out the front door and into the snow.

The middle Baltic's mind raced. He had just escaped a very dangerous situation. Russia's words rang in his mind. The man had been shoving into his mind that freedom was impossible, and that death was a fully open punishment.

_Oh my God. _He thought suddenly. _What if he— What if he did that to Toris?_

Eduard whole body shook with terror. As if he were being told to sprint, the Baltic grabbed his cracked glasses and stumbled up the stairs. His body was still weak from having no air, but he forced himself to run as fast as he could to the hallway. In his mind, he was experiencing tunnel vision. All that mattered was Russia's room. The room where Lithuania was.

Turning the corner, Estonia tripped and crashed in front of the elegant room out of his pure adrenaline.

"Oof!" He cried out.

His mind was racing uncontrollably. Too many bad thoughts entered his brain as got up and off the floor for a second time.

_He is going to be alright. You can heal him. You are good with medicine._

Estonia gripped the doorknob of the room and pulled.

It was locked.

Eduard's blood ran cold. His whole frame trembled with fear and anger as he tried again and again, but the door wouldn't budge.

"TORIS!" He yelled, trying to communicate with him through the walls, "MU VEND!"

Estonia waited, his breath ragged as he listened for any signs of life. Plagued by his brother's call for help, the Baltic waited for that same voice to call for him again. To prove to him that Lithuania was still alive.

There were no words spoken.

_Oh my God, Oh my God, Mu Jumal!_

"LITHUANIA!" He tried again, his voice more frantic.

Nothing.

"T-Toris!" he sobbed, banging his hand on the door, "P-please answer m-me!"

Estonia crumpled to the ground when all he heard was the sound of his own crying. _  
_

**Translations****:**

**Dieve: Oh God (Lithuanian) **

**Mu Jumal: Oh my God (Estonian)**

**Ya tebya ub'yu: I will kill you. (Russian)**

**MU VEND!: My brother! (Estonian)**

**Historical Note: **

**Lithuania tried to separate its self from the Soviet Union in 1990, but it failed and ended up in the shortage of foods and supplies the country desperately needed to survive. (I will go over this next chapter)**

**Author's Note: **

**Songs I listened to while writing/editing: Pandora Hearts- Reminisce; Tokyo Ghoul- White Silence; and for the end of this chapter, David Gray- Forgetting **

**Holy crap guys, I just started/ finished Tokyo Ghoul and that was the most heart wrenching and gruesome anime I have ever seen. It was amazing, but damn. I also started Pandora Hearts and I like it so far! **

**About the con: My oh my was it crazy amazing! I met two Hetalians and a ton of other people! All of my pictures are on my Tumblr (you can access it from my fanfic bio page) if you are interested to see them!**

**This chapter was pretty intense. Whew. I am trying to get into the writing mode since it is NaNoWriMo this month, but I have been packed! Another AP Euro test tom :( We will see how that goes. Finals are coming up soon, so I will try to get one more chapter in before then. After wards, you guys will be getting regular updates, so for now, please endure! **

**THANK YOU SO MUCH! I can't believe anyone actually reads my story-it is still boggling my mind. Every comment is really precious to me, so thanks for taking your time to write them! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey! I managed to get another chapter in before finals! Hope you guys like another intense-ish chapter of Rise and Fall! **

Darkness. That was all Toris felt in his scrambled mind. _Why is it dark? _Part of him asked. _Why does it matter? _He seemed to answer. Lithuania couldn't hear, or see, but he was vaguely aware that his eyes were still closed. _You should wake up. _Half of him suggested. _Why should I? It is nice when there is nothingness. _The other half argued.

But, as hesitant to wake up as he was, Lithuania's eyes slowly blinked open and revealed a new discovery— there was more inky blackness. _Am I dead? Is that what this is? _Slowly, he rose his head and discovered no, he was _not _dead, since he could feel pain pounding through his body like a drum.

"Ooow," he moaned as he massaged his head.

_What happened? Where am I?_

Gradually, his memories came trickling back. It was hazy, but he remembered that Russia had thrown him around pretty good after some kind of argument. _I declared my freedom, didn't I? _Lithuania recalled, grimacing. From there, Ivan had told him something… That he was going… Where? _To see his boss, _his mind supplied. Ah, yes, his boss. Wait… That was _not _a good thing.

"Focus, Toris," he murmured to himself.

He had been calling for help maybe? That was when he had heard his brother, probably Estonia judging by Latvia's scared nature, calling his name before he was shoved into…

"A closet," Lithuania concluded, looking around at the cramped space.

Slowly untangling his body, Toris tried to stand. Unfortunately for him, his legs felt like Jello and he quickly crashed back against the wall.

"Ooow!"

Finding himself twisted around a broom, Lithuania sighed in frustration and tried to wrestle himself out of the situation.

"Toris?" came a very faint voice.

Lithuania stopped moving and blinked. Did he hear that aloud or was that just another voice in his head?

"Toris?!" it came again, louder this time. It was definitely coming from outside the closet, maybe even further.

"H-Hello?" he called back, unsure of whom it was.

"Oh thank God!" came the voice, "Are you alright?! Where are you exactly?"

Lithuania pushed himself off the floor, this time using the wall as a support. The top of closet was nearly a centimeter from his head when he stood in full height. He winced when his leg throbbed, but it fortunately held strong.

"Estonia?"

"Yah?!"

_ So it is Estonia._

"Where is Russia?" he asked hesitantly.

"Lithuania, I don't think that matters right this second—"

"Where is Russia?" he repeated, his voice dead serious.

There was a silence between the two brothers.

"He went out the front door as soon as he left you in his room… It has been a few hours, and he still hasn't got back," Estonia relayed.

Toris grimaced. So he really _had _went to his boss. _My people… What will become of them? What will he do? _

"Where did he go? And you still haven't answered my question about your well-being!"

Lithuania sighed worriedly, wheezing a little when his inner side hurt from the wound.

"I really am ok, I'm just a little beaten up, so don't worry Eduard," he finally said, keeping the _I probably broke a rib or something _to himself, "As for Russia… He went to his boss."

"He went to Gorbachev?" his brother repeated through the two walls, "Why?"

"I said something in the moment and it completely came back to bite me in the ass," Lithuania muttered, "I was just so angry and I tried to be strong like I used to. I pretended, just for a moment, that I was bigger than Russia."

"…You— You really said it didn't you?"

Toris frowned at the unpleasant memory.

"I just felt so empowered after you guys were speaking of independence so freely, and I really just wanted it in that moment where he was hurting me," Lithuania whispered, just loud enough for his brother to hear, "I knew that no one was supposed to feel belittled like that— especially as a _country _with people, landscapes, and cities to represent… And I just wanted to show him that I— that I am still Lithuania no matter how much Soviet crap he sends into our brains…"

Toris clenched his jaw as another overwhelming headache set in. _He _had done this. _He _had caused this to happen. How humiliating it was to have someone push you around for _centuries— _to what? Have his independence thrown back in his face with a boot to match? Anger bubbled within the Baltic, but he tried to diminish it when he heard his brother say;

"That was stupidly brave of you, Toris. I-I'm sorry that we kind of forced you into agreeing with us… That was never our intention…"

"No, no," Lithuania interrupted, "It was _my _decision to stand by you guys and sing. It was _my _decision to be defiant to him. And it was definitely my decision to declare independence to him. But… Eduard, as hard it is for me to say this; I don't want you to declare war or independence against Russia right now. He is in a more unstable state than he has been in a long time, and I seriously doubt he will refrain from hurting you two. I don't want, no matter what happens to me, you two to get hurt."

Toris heard a scoff through the door.

"You are my _vend. _I can't keep letting you get hurt like this… It isn't fair to you…" Estonia sounded riddled with guilt and worry, which of course softened his captive brother and made _him _riddled with guilt and worry.

"_Estija, _you know that will do everything and anything to preserve you and Ravis, right?"

"Yes, but—"

"—But I also care for my people and will not put them into hostile circumstances. I know you do the same. And we both have to look after Latvia— he is our younger brother and we will preserve his wellbeing no matter what," Lithuania finished.

Toris waited as Eduard mulled through the information.

"I know that, of _course _I know that…" Estonia muttered something, too silent for Lithuania to hear through the walls, then he raised his voice again, "But _you _are my brother also and both me and Ravis don't want _you _getting hurt anymore. You are always trying to protect us, and I know it is because you have some influence over Russia, but it is clear that he has snapped and you've lost that edge…"

Lithuania's heart swelled at hearing those words. He knew he risked his life every time he faced Russia in place of his two brothers. He didn't want to, in fact he _hated _it, but if it were to prevent Ravis or Eduard from getting hurt, he would always be there for them. He didn't need the satisfaction of them praising his actions. Toris was never a "recognition" kind of guy. But that had cost him dearly…

"Eduard," he began, his voice wavering and hesitant. He wasn't sure if he wanted to break down his safeguard and tell him what he was really thinking. But they were brothers, were they not? So why wasn't he asking? _Because I really don't know if he'll have an answer…_

"Eduard, what do you think we can do?"

Toris dreaded his answer. He had mulled over that question a few times. What could he do in this awful situation?

He was thoroughly surprised that his brother had answered so quickly.

"Well, since he's got an upper hand… Or more of an upper hand than he usually gets," Estonia restated with a dark chuckle, "With you in there, we won't be able to communicate when he returns… I really don't want to see what he'll do when he returns…."

Lithuania involuntarily shivered.

"_None _of us want to."

"Anyways, I confronted him before he left, and he was _very _specific that I was to not discuss independence around him at all," Eduard said grimly, "So I have a feeling he is going to restrain us from doing much for now on. It will be hard to communicate with others, so I am going to get in touch with people before gets home. Any suggestions?"

Toris thought. Who would be sufficient?

"I would call anyone who you trust, maybe Finland or Iceland or… maybe even America. His power could be a good back up," he suggested.  
"I will do that. I think if I spread that we were fighting for our independence more people will recognize us when we declare our freedom," Estonia continued, "The more allies we have, the worse Russia will look. And we both know that America loves seeing Russia fail…"

"Be careful though," Lithuania added, thinking back to the threat Russia had given him a while back when he was speaking with Poland, "If he catches you on the phone…"

"I will to my best ability," Eduard interjected before Toris could get anymore worried, "But I think another pressing matter we have to discuss before _he _gets home is what we are going to do about you."

Estonia waited for Lithuania's response, but in all honesty, Lithuania didn't have one. He really didn't know how to get out of this mess. His brother took the hint and continued.

"I think that we should lie low for a while and build up a plan that will be close to foolproof, instead of counting on luck and Russia's attitude, though those are important variables. I have no idea what he is going to do when he gets back… but for the sake of keeping our heads on our shoulders, I think we should smooth our way through this week and not cause too much trouble. If he tries to pull anything against you however…"

"You will not interfere," Toris interrupted decisively, "Even if he is being… _moody _and _angry _I can't let our plan fall through because of me. Promise me that you won't endanger yourself or Ravis if he starts to lash out."

"Toris…" Estonia began.

"Eduard, I've dealt with it before," Lithuania smiled sadly, knowing his brother couldn't see his glossy eyes, "I can deal with it again. If this is going to work, sacrifices are inevitable."

A sigh could be heard from the other side of the door.

"I won't interfere if you promise me one thing. Promise me that I will never have to pick you up off the ground in a bloody mess. No matter what happens, your life is essential. _Never _forget that."

Lithuania felt a chill run down him. He remembered the few times during World War II that circumstance had allowed such a thing to happen. He shivered and not because of the cold.

"You know we aren't going to escape at once, right?" Toris stated morosely, "We are going to have to go in waves. Probably get ourselves to our home capitals, where our strength lies. How to get there is a major problem though…"

"I know," Estonia agreed, both to the deportation and travelling problem, "But I am going to speak with some other nations on that matter before any decisions are made. Russia is just so big…"

A sudden throb of Toris's side made the nation stumbled back into the wall. With his eyes adjusted with the darkness, he could see that there were a few boxes and tools in the room— probably extra storage. _Try not to fall into that, Toris. _He told himself.

"Estonia, if we are going to get this plan to work, you are going to have to move now," Lithuania urged, disappointed when he heard the pain in his voice.

"I know, I know… I will do that. Are you sure you are ok in there?"

Lithuania wanted to tell the truth and say, _"No! It's cramped and cold in here, and I'm almost positive I have a broken rib and a minor concussion!" _ but that would just worry his brother further. What mattered was this plan.

"M' fine, _brolis." _

"Alright then," said an unconvinced reply, "You be careful, ok? Please don't get anymore hurt."

_Well, I it isn't like I _try _to get hurt. _

"Same to you."

Toris hated the sense of relief and dread when Eduard left him by himself. He was relieved, because now the nation could let out a hurt sigh to expose that he _was_ injured badly. Just talking to Estonia had caused Lithuania's mind to swirl and pound, and he felt a pulse of pain jolting in his leg. His ribs moaned with each inhale, and it wasn't like he could stop breathing to make it go away. To put simply, Russia had done a number on him. It had been a long while since something like this had happened, and Toris was glad for that since it utterly broke the house's sense of structure and security.

_Latvia is probably terrified. _He thought, turning his thoughts away from his present pain. It was quite bothersome that Russia had locked him in this closet with no explanation or inclination of what he was going to do when he returned. _That _was something Toris was scared of. He could deal with being damaged and having physical injuries, but not knowing what was to come made his stomach twist in a way that was far worse than any punishment. He didn't know what Russia discussed with his boss. He didn't know if he would take that anger out on Latvia, Estonia, or himself. Maybe, when he got home, his mind would be a little clearer…

_Who am I kidding, of course he is going to be mad. But will he express it in the same way as he did last night? _

Russia's many personalities made it hard to predict his actions without seeing his current mood and mindset. Just dealing with this aspect of Russia was hard to conquer. Lithuania thought back to when he was just a child, when he first met Russia. He was so small back then, and so naïve… The small boy he had met was already tainted by abuse from Mongolia that had implanted the terrifying personalities within Russia. Lithuania something really, _really _wished that he could've met the pure Russia. The one hadn't gone mad from abuse, or from power, or from the hungry desire to swallow up Earth and name it Russia. Where was that boy? Where was that man?

It was such a good time, long ago. Back when Lithuania was a national power. When he wasn't a subordinate to anyone or felt as terrified as he did now. The days when it was just him and Prussia playfully fighting, or him and Hungary yakking on and on about other countries. Where was she? Where was Prussia? He hadn't seen the country in forever, his long time enemy…

Toris had been out of it since World War II. The whole house had been out of it. First of all, their people were ripped from them. The war had set Russia off on the countries quite often. Nothing physical, until the Baltics had refused to send their people to Siberia…

He shivered again. He didn't need to think of Siberia anymore.

It took a while for Lithuania to draw his thoughts back to his injuries that were becoming more and more apparent. Trying to prod at his leg, Toris found that he _shouldn't _do that since it hurt so _damn _much.

He sighed half-heartedly, knowing that he had expected it to hurt.

_SLAM! _

The Baltic jumped from his spot, hitting his head on the roof of the incommodious closet.

_Dieve… _Toris thought, his heart sinking. _He is back._

__

O0o00oo0o0o0o0o0o00o

Latvia sat on his floor staring blankly at his shoes. He was in full uniform— his red suit straightened and his boots tied. But, he could not will himself to get up and go outside the room. _I'm a coward. _

The unavoidable Russia was out there. He couldn't deal with that. _I-I had already stood up to Russia before r-r-right? _

Ravis's stomach churned at the thought and he buried his head into his lap.

_Yeah, and then what did that cost Toris? _

His mind was filled with an unnatural amount of self-loathing on why he was so stupid. He had thought he had been doing the right thing by revolting against Russia. _I mean, that was why I received that box, right? My people wanted me to remember my past and stand up for my people. Why can't I do that freely?_

_ Because it is hurting others. _Latvia had concluded this fact long ago when Estonia had left screaming for Russia to stop. Shivering, Ravis stopped thinking of what had become of either of his brothers. _I'm too s-scared to go out and check. _

Russia had been in their room. _Russia. _

The thought sent more chills down his spine.

Too absorbed in his thoughts, Ravis had just noticed the engine of a car, and that very engine dying. Latvia's whole body tensed.

_R-Russia is h-h-home!_

Wanting to curl up in his bed and never resurface, Latvia resisted the urge and instead began to panic. Was he supposed to be cleaning? Was he supposed to be doing anything? What if Russia was mad if he wasn't working? _Oh God, I don't know!_

The door, presumably the front door, opened with a _Bang _and shut with an even louder _BANG! _

_No, no, no…._

Latvia's nightmares were becoming real when he heard those dreaded heavy boots clunking up the stairs. _He isn't coming to me… He isn't coming to me!_

Life regrettably didn't work like that.

Latvia's whole body shot up to a severe straightness when Russia entered his room. Their eyes were uncanny. Both the strangest color of purple— But both were so very different. Russia's were stern, strict, and angry, while Latvia's were lined with fear and terror.

"M-M-Mr. Russia?" he squeaked as the huge nation neared him.

He couldn't help but yelp when the man reached for his arm.

"M-Mr. R-R-Russia please!" he cried as he was dragged by the wordless Soviet Nation. Latvia stared up as he was hurried out of his room and down the hall towards the stairs. The man's face was totally wiped of emotion, besides his eyes which made Ravis tremble with such extremity he was surprised his legs didn't collapse underneath him.

_Where is Estonia?! _He screamed inwardly, swiveling his head around for the familiar face. He never found one. _Palīdziet man!_

"D-D-D-Don't, Mr. R-Russia please don't!" Ravis almost sobbed, too mentally fragile to deal with the fact that they were headed to the office.

"Latvia?" came a distressed call of his brother.

"E-Estonia!" he begged to his brother, whose voice was the only reminder of his existence.

_NO no No no! Palīdziet man!_

They were headed to Russia's office.

**Historical Note:**

**Yes I know Iceland sounds like a very out of the blue character for the Baltics to be buds with, but trust me, it has historical prevalence. Wait for later chapters.**

**Translations:**

**Vend: Brother (Estonian)**

**Estija: Estonia (Lithuanian)**

**Brolis: Brother (Lithuanian)**

**Dieve: Oh My God (Lithuanian)**

**Palīdziet man!: Help me! (Latvian)**

**Author's Note:**

**Songs used: The Way Way Back main theme; The Fountain soundtrack (holy crap is this soundtrack amazing!)**

**Am I boring you guys, or is my writing still strong? Sorry if it feels like I'm a little off, I am trying to study for my finals next week and man am I terrified! ALMOST as terrified as our poor Latvia here :( Gah, I have a lot of plans for this series but no time to write it! I really want to get to a point where I can give you guys 5-6 thousand word chapters, but I really can't because of time. So, as soon finals are over (Thursday afternoon) I will be able to write much MUCH more than I have this past month!**

**This is a mini/serious note for anyone and everyone: Don't be depressed. Depression is not fun, and a lot of my friends are getting depressed and I'm trying to comfort them. So, I thought I'd might address you guys, since I really and truly care deeply for all of your who read my book! **

**It's ok. Take a deep breath. Let it out. Let it all out. It is going to get better, even if you don't believe it will. Don't pick up that razor today. Try to get some sleep tonight. It's ok. There are people who love you, whether it be a handful, or a whole city. No matter if you don't like yourself, there are people who would be devastated if you were gone. ****_Someone _****will miss you. ****_It is ok. _**

**I love you for who you are and there are people who do too. **

**My kik is 1Aveyond if any of you have any problems that seem too hard for you to deal with at the moment. I am here to listen. I do not judge. **

_**It is ok. **_


	14. Chapter 14

**HI EVERYONE! Sorry I have been pretty dormant lately! My mom had surgery and I have been taking care of her. I guess you guys could call this your Thanksgiving present! (unless you don't live in the USA :)) Enjoy POV's of Iceland (yes, sorry if I butcher this character, I don't really know him that well), Latvia, AND Lithuania! This is my longest chapter yet, so enjoy!**

Iceland had been spending his time resting in the Nordic's home. All of the Nordics, besides him, had left doing whatever they do on weekends. Iceland had always been known to _not _care as to what the older boys were doing, as long as they were not being annoying to him. All he needed was a small newspaper, which he was reading at the time.

_RING! RIIIING! _

Emil looked up from his paper at the telephone that lay next to him. Frowning in surprise, he picked it up and said a confused; "Hello?"

"H-Hello, Iceland?" came the voice, "This is Iceland, correct? Emil Steilsson?"

"Yes, that is me," he muttered, "May I ask who is calling?"

"It's me, Estonia!"

Iceland frowned again. _Estonia…?_

"Are you alright? Why are you calling?"

"Well, ah, you see… I'm trying to call as many countries as I can right now. It is of the utmost importance," the nation replied, "I'm trying to let people know of our situation. You are the first person I am calling."

"Tell me of your situation? What is this? What is going on?" Emil asked, more and more confused.

A deep sigh sounded over the phone.

"As you know, I am a member of Russia's household. Things here have been very, _very _turbulent lately, and they need to be stopped. I need people to know the truth of what has been going on here."

Iceland furrowed his eyebrows.

"What kind of things, Estonia?" he asked, unsure of what he wanted to hear.

"Lithuania tried for his independence this week. Russia refused… quite brutally… And now I need people to know. I want them to recognize Lithuania. I want my brother out of Russia's hold. I'm trying to get Lithuania out of the country to his own home, where he will be much stronger. But trying to get him out of Russian borders requires outside help. I need as much support as possible."

_All of these things have been happening?_ Emil blinked in surprise. _And they want _my_ help? I'm so much younger than all of them… With not the best of militaries… _

"How would _I _be able to help?" he questioned incredulously.

"Recognize Lithuania. Recognize what we are doing. Recognize that we need independence. If even one country stands against Russia outside of us small Baltic States… Then we could actually fight against him. We can't stay here anymore. It isn't right."

Estonia's words seemed hurried, but they were full of emotion and strength.

"I-Is it really that bad there?" Iceland whispered with doubt.

"Yes."

It surprised Iceland how easily Estonia replied.

"If it's that bad, then I will surely help you guys out. I'll try to let everyone know that Lithuania's reaching for his independence. Can you call me again when you are ready to get Lithuania home?"

"Yeah, I will try… But things are very… distressed here, so trust me; it will be hard to call you after this. And promise me, whatever happens_, please _do not call me. I will call you if the time arises."

"Of course, Estonia…" Iceland breathed, taking in on how serious the nation was, "But… Are you truly alright—"

A large slam could be heard over the phone.

"I-I have to go," Estonia hurried in a low whisper, "Thank you, Iceland."

"Estonia?" Emil asked worriedly, but he was only greeted by the sound of a dead line.

0o0o0o0o0o00o0o

Ravis was trying to suppress his quivering as he sat in the large, cushioned chair in front of Russia's desk. He decided to stare at the expensive ball-point pen placed ahead of him instead of looking at Russia.

_Wh-why am I here? Wh-wh-what does he want? _

Latvia jumped in his chair as Russia sat down across from him. He could feel those piercing, purple eyes gazing at him… no _through _him; as if he were looking into Ravis's soul. It was extremely unnerving, and to the smaller nation, it was hard not to squirm in his place.

"M-M-Mr. Russia?" Latvia tried. He couldn't take the intimidating silence anymore; it made him feel more and more in trouble.

Slowly, he broke his eye contact from the pen to Mr. Russia's eyes. Ravis hunched in on himself when he met those reflective eyes. They were as hard as amethyst— jagged in a sense that they could kill.

"Latvia."

"Y-yes?!"

"You know why you must stay in our home, right?" Russia voice was flat with lack of pity or empathy, "You have no real source of money to hold all of your people without me and you need a leader that is firm and just, as is mine. You would die if I let you go, Latvia."

"S-Sir, that isn't the case—" Ravis tried, his voice squeaking.

"Russia is large. We protect you from other nations. They would squash you if you didn't stay here. I am protecting you and your brothers, Latvia."

"Sir, n-no, I don't need p-protection—"

"If I let you go out into the world again, you be pulled apart, like Poland," Russia interrupted, "Wouldn't that make you sad?"

Ravis got caught up on his words, his mouth open dumbly with nothing to say. To say the larger man was intimidating Latvia was an understatement. The Baltic knew how tiny he was compared to the Soviet Union. It _terrified _him to think he could be "squashed"….

"You know what I speak of is the truth, Latvia, and that is why I am confused on how desperate you are to retaliate against me. You know that you are vulnerable, and yet…" Russia's face still looked placid, but his deadly aura was still ever present.

Latvia tried to speak again, but he was cut off by Russia curt;

"Do you just like to sing?"

The air seemed taken out of Ravis's lungs. _There _it was. Latvia was waiting for his cringe worthy actions to resurface. Latvia's small form shivered to no end, and his open jaw rattled. _How can I saw anything to that?_

"I-I-I…"

"You do have a very beautiful voice, Latvia, even in your despicable language," Latvia winced at the word, "But you still disobeyed me to no end. Why is that?"

"I-I-I-I…"

"I know what I can do with Latvia's voice! Since it is so clear and strong, unlike the rest of Latvia's stuttering speech, I could use it in some uplifting propaganda! That would sound nice, unlike the dreadful Latvian song you sang."

Ravis felt tears prick in his eyes. It wasn't _fair! _It wasn't fair that Russia could say such _awful _things to him! About his nation! It took everything within the Baltic not to cry.

"S-S-Sir, I don't—"

Russia eyed his sternly. Intrigued seemed to fill them.

"I'm sorry, Latvia, did I just hear defiance?" Russia interrogated without breaking his eyes from the younger nation's.

"S-Sir…" Latvia whispered. His whole body was shaking so hard it was difficult to sit properly anymore. He wanted to look away, he desperately wanted to look away from those deadly eyes, but Ravis was in a trance… Built by extreme fear.

"No?"

"N-n-no, s-sir."

"Good, Latvia."

Ravis winced at the clear mocking nature in Russia's voice. He wanted to bolt. He wanted more than anything to get out of there so he wouldn't have to last another second talking to the formidable man, but he knew Russia had locked the door shut.

"Did you plan out the song, or did you just do it spontaneously?" Russia interrogated.

"I d-don't think… I don't th-think that matters, sir," Latvia replied in a whisper.

"Oh it does to me," Russia purred.

"I-I just, I just w-wanted to s-sing," Ravis whimpered.

"Even when I told you not to?"

"E-even when you t-told me n-not to…"

Russia took in a deep breath.

"Did your brothers force you to sing?" Russia countered.

"What? N-no…"

"Did you force your brothers to sing?"

"N-N-No…"

"Why do you think they joined you? Are you some kind of choir?"

"Sir…"

"Really, Latvia, I'm trying to understand as clearly as I can," Russia spat with much annoyance.

Latvia clenched his small fists, trying not scream in frustration. He knew that Russia was bullying him and interrogating him at the same time. He knew he shouldn't be fazed, but he was. He truly, truly was. It was then that the beautiful red roses came back to his mind. The feeling that came with it was even better— his people wanted him to stand strong. Latvia resolved on focusing all his attention on that memory, and slowly, Ravis's shaking calmed down.

This distinct change was not overlooked by Russia.

"I just wanted to sing, sir," though Latvia whispered this, he did without stuttering.

Russia sighed deeply and twirled the ball-point pen through his fingers. Latvia wanted to say so much to the Siberian nation, but he wouldn't. He knew he had the biggest of mouths, and that people have only got hurt because of it. So, he kept as quiet as he could, not without squirming in his chair a little.

Russia suddenly stopped playing with the pen and looked at Latvia.

"If we are done with the singing business," he started, placing the pen back onto his desk, "I would like to inform you of some new rules."

Ravis was eternally grateful that the interrogation was over. _But_ _new rules? _Latvia couldn't help but dread Russia's "_new rules". _

"You are going to be my new secretary in place of Lithuania, who is currently… out of commission," Latvia shivered at that comment, "And I won't be providing him food now until Thursday so he can realize what he has done. You and Estonia are not allowed to give any meals until I deem it necessary."

Latvia blinked in surprise, then shook his head.

"Mr. Russia, please d-don't—" Ravis started with full worry apparent on his family.

"This is my decision, _net_?" Russia pushed forcefully, "You will not refuse it?"

Latvia rubbed his hands anxiously, not too fond Russia's growing dark attitude.

"Sir, please, don't make Lithuania suffer. I-I started singing first, not him, it was me!" Latvia cried as he shot from his chair. Ravis was now feeling tears escape his clouded eyes. He never meant to hurt anyone! He just wanted to _show _Russia that he wasn't as big as everyone made him out to be.

Russia chuckled darkly and he too got up from his chair and circled towards Latvia, who responded by stepping back.

"That isn't the reason Litva's in holding," Russia said sweetly, the sick, _twisted _personality starting to bubble up from the depths of the man's subconscious, "Your brother did something much more foolish."

Ravis blinked, not expecting that answer.

"What…"

"He declared his independence to me, Latvia," Russia explained while picking up a stack of papers from his desk.

Ravis was completely and utterly shocked. _Lithuania did what?!_

"He— He did that?" Latvia squeaked.

The other man set the pile of papers on a smaller desk towards the right-hand side of the office. Russia beckoned Latvia over with a move of his hand, and the smaller country, still in shock, complied.

"But I am now teaching Lithuania what is right and what is wrong, da? He will understand very soon what it means to not have my help," Russia gave Ravis a creepy smile, "You already understand, don't you little one? Or do we need reminders?"

Latvia bit his lip and trembled slightly.

"N-no, sir."

Russia nodded and pointed to the stack.

"Great! Now we are on good terms, you and I. I do expect you will be done stamping all these papers before lunch, no? I need an extra hand in the kitchen when Lithuania is not here."

Feeling emotionally deflated, Ravis nodded mechanically.

_Toris, _He thought as he sat down at the desk, _What have we got ourselves into?_

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Said person was currently on the floor of the closet, holding his wounded side in his hand in an attempt to make it feel better. No matter how much he tried, Lithuania couldn't make the damn thing feel like normal. His breathing was a mess, and the cramped nature of the closet wasn't helping in the slightest. On top of all that, he had barely any sleep since the fiasco last night and he sure as hell wasn't going to with Russia back in the house.

_Are my brothers ok? Did he do anything to them? What is Ivan doing now? If he as much touches them…._

Lithuania sighed, wincing at his bad breathing again. It never occurred to him that he wasn't focused on what Russia did to him, but instead, what Russia did to his brothers. His caring nature was unrelenting, but he really couldn't do anything in this situation.

All that he had heard through the door was a few loud shouts (no crashes, thank God) and the opening and closing of doors. He tried to focus on _something, _or he was afraid that he would go insane without seeing Estonia and Latvia.

Estonia. He prayed that he had called someone in time. After he had departed, Russia had come home pretty soon. Would he have been able to compete his calls? Did Russia know he has been calling without permission?

Toris's stomach growled, but he didn't mind it. He had been hungry before and he could do it again. But what really rocked his stomach was all of his concern for his brothers. He really did want to see them again.

_If Russia did one thing for me in my life that was for the better, _Lithuania thought, _It would be introducing me to Estonia and Latvia. Even if it weren't under the best circumstances…. _

The sound of steps snapped Toris to attention. They weren't heavy, like Russia's, so it must be…

"Eduard?" Lithuania asked through the wall, wincing at the quality of his voice.

"Toris? Oh God, he is back and he has been talking to Ravis for a full thirty minutes now and I-I don't know what to do!" Estonia rambled, sounding like he just ran.

"He has been talking to Latvia?" Lithuania repeated in horror, thinking about how easily Ravis's mouth could run at times, "A-are you sure? Have you heard anything from them?"

"N-No, so far it is just talking, but I'm worried that he will say something terrible to Latvia, since he started the singing… " Eduard further explained, "I can't go inside, the doors were locked when I tried to serve as a distraction, but he hasn't come out since. D-Do I go and demand that he let our brother out or do I just wait it out? Mu jumal, I don't know!"

Lithuania licked his dry lips and ignored the pain in his head.

"I, I think we should trust Ravis on this one. Just let him deal with this like the grown country he is supposed to be, and wait it out," Toris decided, "But if you hear one crash or scream or anything of that sort, I-I want him not alone with Russia."

It was quiet for a moment outside, and at first Lithuania thought Estonia was just mulling over the idea in his brain, but he soon discovered that it wasn't the case.

"M-Mr. Russia," Eduard stuttered from outside the room. The older Baltic immediately stiffened, feeling dread creep up into him. Now that Russia was only two walls away from him, he was just realizing that Ivan was capable of storming in on Lithuania with brute force. Toris resolved at clenching his fists by his side and silencing his heavy, ragged breathing.

"Estonia, you have duties to perform, da? I want the outside driveway scraped free of ice and snow by dinner, _khorosho?_" Russia ordered, his creepy childlike demeanor back again.

Lithuania hated how he knew, even without seeing, that his brother had shivered at the order.

"Y-Yes, sir, may Latvia help me?" Eduard asked.

_You are as clever as ever, brolis, _Lithuania thought, _You are trying to get Latvia away from that psychopath or to see if Russia is refusing. _

"Net, Estonia, he is currently busy with some paperwork in place of our comrade Lithuania, and he will be preparing dinner later on. He is very busy, so I must make you very busy with the snow too!"

Toris paled. Russia's explanation had guaranteed that Lithuania wasn't coming out of his captivity tonight, since he was the one who usually made the dinner. It was going to be a long day.

"My brother, when are you going to let him out?" Estonia asked, his voice becoming hesitant.

"That will depend on your brother," Russia said it loud it enough so Toris could hear it clearly.

Lithuania clenched his fists tighter at this, trying to direct some of his emotions somewhere besides his face. He didn't want Russia walking in on him like the wreck he was.

"Sir…"

"You will do your work now, da?" Russia urged, already unlocking the door to his room, "I am very busy at the moment."

_Please, prašom leave, brother. _

"Mr. Russia, I—"

"You are going _now _right, Estonia?" Russia repeated, his mood darkly switching.

_Please leave._

"…Y-Yes sir," Estonia finally whispered in defeat, quiet enough that Lithuania almost couldn't hear him.

_Thank you, brolis. _

Russia finally opened his door and entered the room all the way, and Toris heard the deafening slide of the lock. _Be strong, don't do anything stupid, and don't yell. Don't want to interrupt Estonia's amazing task of clearing snow, now do I?_

Lithuania couldn't even smile at his own joke since the lock to the closet door unlocked and light flooded into the darkness. Toris, briefly blinded by the sudden light, squinted up at the hulking figure and coughed a quick:

"Hello, Mr. Russia."

Said nation acknowledged the gesture with a quick "Privet" and hoisted Toris from the cluttered mess. The Baltic couldn't help but groan as his ribs tightened as he was pulled and nearly fell as his hurt leg gave out on him. Russia quickly caught him and stood him up straight, making sure he wasn't capable of falling over again.

Lithuania had an almost reflex response of "Thanks," but Russia was the one who had put him into that state in the first place. _He doesn't deserve a thank you. _

Without speaking, the Siberian nation led Lithuania from the closet to his bathroom. _What is he doing? _Toris thought, confused, _Is he letting me get cleaned up? Is he not going to talk with me? _

Then again, not having to deal with Russia was a good thing too.

Opening the bathroom door, Ivan helped the puzzled Lithuania inside and gave him a sharp look.

"You will clean up, da?" Russia commanded, "I don't like to see you like this."

Toris squeezed his eyes shut and bit back a rude comment that was on the tip on his tongue.

_Well, I wonder who caused me to look like this then?_

"Yes, sir," he replied lowly, not wanting to open his eyes.

Russia slowly let go of Toris, who slowly leaned up against the bathroom wall for support.

"I'll give you five minutes."

Lithuania waited until the man left to breath a sigh of relief. He was so, _so _happy that he had this time to stretch. Even if he had all sorts of _pleasant _things to tell Russia (if pleasant including swears and snarky remarks), it still was music to Toris's ears that he wasn't cramped up in the closet anymore. Plus, he needed to go.

After doing his business, slowly, the nation made his way to the sink, where he slurped up some needed water and washed his face and hands, which had become bloodied. Gingerly, Lithuania prodded at his hurt head and grimaced when he saw the dried blood that matted his long hair down. He rubbed the blood out from there and then stole a hair band from Russia's cabinet to put his hair in a low pony tail (sometimes Belarus left her random clothing and other articles in Russia's room to remind him that she was still here, no matter what).

_Look at me. Don't I look just fabulous, Poland? _

Lithuania tried to smile with the black eye and bruised lip, but it wasn't very convincing. It hurt to stretch his face like that and he really didn't have the emotional patience to put up an act for Russia at the moment. It just wasn't the day for a smile. For some reason, Poland came to mind when he thought of this.

_"You look so pathetic, Liet! Haha! Let's find a mask to cover up all that boring black and blue. Couldn't you ask Russia to give you purple bruises? That would be totally more fashionable!"_

Toris smiled, despite the situation, at the stupid dialogue he had given his friend. Maybe he was really lacking sleep…

"It's time to come out, Litva," Russia called from outside the bathroom.

Quickly sipping some more water from the sink, Lithuania made his way back to the door, not without some cruel wincing.

_Here it comes… _Lithuania thought with dismay. _The part where I get told time and time again that I am wrong and he is right…_

It was hard for Toris to open that door, but he did, and when he did, Ivan was there to greet him with a blank stare. Somehow, relief glossed over those purple eyes for only a second as Russia said;

"You look much better."

Lithuania didn't have anything to say to that, so he instead nodded and let Russia awkwardly lead him back into the room. Toris was sure the man was going to set him in a chair near his coffee table, where they could discuss what had happened. He was sure he was going to be briefly yelled at, and then reminded over and over that what he did was stupid and wrong and Lithuania would have to sit there in quiet acceptance. He was sure that only then would he be free to his actual room where he would be greeted with brothers and they would plan their escape, no matter what Russia had said. But that didn't happen.

Lithuania, just confused as he was five minutes earlier, was led back to the door of the closet, where Russia opened and beckoned for him to enter. Toris looked inside, his brain still stirring with perplexity, as he faintly noticed Russia had oh so _kindly_ taken out the boxes and other things that had tripped up Lithuania before hand. He was even more stunned when he was gently shoved inside, and Russia said a swift;

"Do svidaniya, Litva."

Toris was left in the dark, with _no _idea on what was going on.

**Historical Note****:**

**Iceland=Young: Iceland's true independence was granted in 1918 through the Danish-Icelandic Act of Union, so he is generally pretty young compared to most countries **

**Lithuania's isolation/food strike/what ever you want to call it: After declaring independence, Russia began cutting off economic supports which I interpreted as necessities, such as food and coverage. Lithuania finds out later that messing with the big county is quite unfavorable if you want your country to economically survive. **

**Translations****:**

**_Khorosho: alright? (Russian)_**

**_Brolis: Brother (Lithuanian)_**

**_Prašom: Please (Lithuanian)_**

**Author's Note (if you care):**

**Songs listened to while writing: The Hanging Tree (Mockingjay soundtrack; btw I was very pleased with this movie); Jack's Theme/The Death and Birth of Jack Frost (Rise of the Guardians Soundtrack); and Warriors (Imagine Dragons)**

**Guys; thank you so much for the support! It is awesome to read comments left by you guys and it feels amazing to write so much, even when it doesn't seem like a lot to you guys. I try to put out as much content as I can, but when I'm not writing, I researching as much as I can for the book. I am also invested in making a little lyric video for a book I made a while back called Pure Souls to the song Warriors. I think I'm making it into a comic. I'm not sure, but I wrote a little chapter just for fluff because I love my OC's. **

**Have any story recommendations? Want me to read your story? I am quite bored and I do love to read so if you have a suggestion, just tell me and I'll check it out. Thanks a ton and btw: I PASSED MY AP EURO FINAL! THANK THE PASTA GODS FOR THIS MIRACLE! :) **

**Thank you readers! Have a nice week (whether you have it off if you live in USA or not!) :)**


	15. Chapter 15

_**SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY ;_;**_

Estonia dug into the snow with his shovel. Sure his arms were doing the mechanical movement of shoveling, but Estonia's mind was elsewhere. Somewhere much, _much _more important.

_Independence, _he thought, _Is only possible if we work towards it. And since Toris is not able to help right now, it is my responsibility to make sure that we can get out of here. I need to contact America and Iceland again if this plan of mine is going to work…._

Eduard sighed, shivering at the cold of the day. _If _was the big problem. _If _his plan worked. _If _he got the cooperation of other nations. _If _the transfer was successful. _If _the outcome was not deadly…

Blinking back a few snowflakes that had landed on his face, the Estonian looked around at the progress he had made. The last hour and a half had been spent with him thinking and planning and prompting himself with the route and routine it would take to safety get the Baltics out of Russia's home. So many scenarios played through Eduard's brain like a movie— if one thing happened, he thought of how he would cope and rebound. It was like a huge game of chess. Though Russia was more like the Queen, who had all the possibilities of movements besides the Knight, the Baltics were mere pawns that would be played slowly and carefully, with planning, until they themselves could create their own queen.

Sacrifices had to be made if they were to get their pawns all the way across the board. It was unavoidable. But maybe, just maybe, that would be enough to overthrow the King and check him.

With the driveway quite clear of the slippery stuff, Estonia made his way back inside with thoughts of retribution still clear in his mind.

He needed to tell Latvia of his plan. But only after he told the outside nations.

Latvia sighed as he tried so very hard to cook lunch. Why was he so bad at cutting meat? Why was he so bad at cooking it? Heck, he thought he could handle the beef stroganoff but apparently _not. _He would have to ask Lithuania to teach him how to cook properly after he was let out of whatever confinement he was currently under. The thought of his brother made his stomach clench uncomfortably. He felt terrible about making food that he wasn't able to share with Toris. Well, maybe eating _Latvia's _food wouldn't help any stomach problems, it might even cause more, knowing Latvia's inability to, well, _cook. _

He huffed disappointedly. He was pretty sure that the slices of meat weren't supposed to be this big. Would it cook at all like this? Ravis looked around in an attempt to find some kind of cooking savior, and sighed in relief when he saw his brother walking towards him.

"Brother!" Ravis exclaimed, "Oh my goodness you gotta help me, I can't cook and I think I'll waste our food and then Russia will get angry and—"

Estonia raised his hand to silence his brother. Confused, Latvia stopped talking when he noticed the look on his face.

"Ravis, I need you to do something for me, alright?" Estonia began, his voice dropping to a whisper, "I need you to distract Russia for at least five minutes and make sure he doesn't come into the living room."

Latvia blanched.

"B-But why? I really don't want to see h-him…" he mumbled.

"This is of great importance. I need to call America and Iceland right away…" Estonia explained quietly, "Please."

Latvia, more befuddled then before, slowly put down the knife he had been using and discarded his job as "chef". He looked into his brother's eyes, which were determined, yet pleading. He didn't know what Eduard was planning, but he did know that whatever it was, it had to be important. With a worried feeling spreading through him, he slowly nodded.

Estonia's face lit up with extreme gratefulness.

"I will be as quick as I can. Just, whatever you do, make sure he doesn't hear or see me."

Ravis stomach churned at the thought of them getting caught. He couldn't even protest since the Estonian had left for the living room.

0o0o00o0o0o

It had only been a few minutes, but Latvia had been pacing the kitchen anxiously. The soft claps of his shoes on the tile of the kitchen was not loud enough to drown out his brother's soft murmurs in the other room, nor could it be louder than his thumping heart.

_ Steigties!_

It would be an understatement to say Ravis jumped when he heard the door to Russia's office open. If he were a little taller, Latvia could have made it to the ceiling in a heartbeat. Instead, he turned with a jolt and watched with his mouth hanging open as the man began walking down the hall in those huge boots he wore.

_Wh-what do I d-d-do?! _Latvia thought in trepidation, _He is going to kill us!_

Squeezing his fear down with a sharp breath, Latvia couldn't believe the words he said until they left his mouth;

"M-mr. Russia, can you h-h-help me with l-lunch!"

The man, already beginning his pursuit to the library (which was awfully too close to the living room), stopped short to gaze at the small country. He blinked, the confusion on his face apparent, until he shook his head to snap out of it.

"Uh, da…" Russia agreed, but didn't move since he looked as if he were still processing the information. He seemed to mull the information over in his mind, and soon the confusion smoothed over and turned into a creepy smile, "Russia can cook the best Russian foods!"

Latvia forced himself to nervously chuckle at the failed attempt at a joke from the scary man. Russia didn't seem to mind or accept the fact that his joke was unfunny, but instead joined Ravis by his side in the kitchen.

_D-Don't tremble now, you have t-to make this c-convincing! Be s-strong! _

"What _were _you trying to make, little one?" Russia asked, sounding a tad bit worried as he glanced upon the materials lining the counter.

"I-I was trying t-to make beef st-stroganoff but I don't think I can c-cook that w-well…" Latvia muttered.

He jumped again when Russia started to laugh in great bellows.

"My little Latvia, you can not cook at _all," _he grinned, slapping Ravis on the back with a little _too _much force.

"Oof!"

_Why is Russia suddenly so happy? Wasn't he super mad before?_

"Now let's see what we can fix here…." Russia trailed off, picking up the knife Latvia had been using before. The nation instantly stiffened. _Stupid! Now the psychopath has a knife! You gave him a KNIFE when your brother is in the other room defying every rule! Idiot! _Ravis couldn't and wouldn't say anything, though, since the Russian had already began to cut the slices thinner and neater than Latvia had done.

"Listen well, little one, for it is good knowledge to have. You see, you must use a knife delicately on meat, because if you bash it," Russia generously demonstrated by hacking the knife down on one of the pieces, causing Latvia to shudder, "it will look ugly and won't be presentable."

It didn't pass over Latvia's head that this food lecture had a double meaning.

After a few moments, Ravis's shoulder relaxed and he let out a quiet sigh as he believed he had resolved the situation. It was kind of weird to see Russia like this— he was so focused in on cooking and not yelling or making threats. His face looked tired, but pleased that he were doing something other than work or talking to his boss. Latvia had a hard time imagining this kind of expression on the Siberian nation, but it was oddly nice. Latvia again had to remind himself that this _same man _was currently holding his brother hostage and them too, to a certain degree.

The Baltic squeaked in surprise when Russia grabbed his arm and pulled him in front on the half done prep. Russia's hand was clasp around his right hand, where Russia smoothly pushed the handle of knife into. Then, the man tightened his grip over both so that Ravis was holding the knife, and Russia was steading his hand.

"You cut like this, da?" Russia explained, moving both their hands down onto the meat.

Latvia was speechless— stunned at the fact that Russia was so uncomfortably _close _to him.

_St-stay strong, I have t-to buy time for E-Estonia!_

"Da?"

"Y-yes, sir!" Ravis said a little _too_ quick, slowly nudging the man away from him. Russia soon got the hint, and released him, continuing on about how long to cook all the ingredients for and not to wait too long because it will burn. Latvia only half heard him because he was still processing what had happened, much like Russia. Distantly, he realized he couldn't hear Estonia's voice anymore.

Latvia blew out the air he had been withholding when he heard;

"Ah, Estonia. You know how to make beef stroganoff, da? You will help Latvia?"

Ravis didn't dare turn as he felt Russia move away from him. He knew he was terrible at keeping a straight face and a clear head in these situations, while Eduard was a pro at avoiding dangerous encounters with Russia.

"Yes, I will, Mr. Russia."

"I am going to be back in a while. I expect lunch will be done by then?" Russia stated.

"Yes sir," They both responded immediately. Still afraid, Latvia only turned around when he heard the sound of Russia's boots grow softer and softer until it was inaudible.

Ravis launched himself at Eduard.

"Hey!" Estonia cried, caught off guard.

"You could have hurried up a _little _bit!" Ravis yelled in a whisper, "Why did it take you so long? Do you know what I had do to do for your phone call!?"

Estonia stood staring down at his younger brother, until he infuriated him even more by laughing.

"It isn't funny!" Latvia puffed.

Eduard tried to stifle his laughs by placing his hand over his smile. In Ravis's perspective, that didn't help at all, so he punched his brother's shoulder and stormed back to the stove. Estonia followed suit and helped Latvia silently by his side, even if the younger one of the duo was still frustrated.

Easing into seriousness, Eduard said in a low voice;

"But in any case, thank you. I was able to contact who I needed to."

Latvia settled down his annoyance and began preparing the skillet.

"What _were_ you calling about that was so important?" he asked.

"I had to get some final details out to some outside countries about how we are going to get out of here," Estonia replied quietly, beginning to dust the beef in a light powder mixture, "It has been finalized."

Latvia stomach did an immense flip-flop.

"A-are you saying you a-are getting help from them to…?" Ravis almost didn't want to say it aloud when Russia was present in the house.

"Yeah," Estonia whispered, a small smile appearing on his face, "I am going to get us out of here, Ravis. It is already in motion."

Ravis couldn't believe it. They were finally doing it. He didn't know whether to feel scared or happy or excited or anxious…. Heck maybe he should be feeling all of those feelings! But soon the thought of returning home quickly muted all other worries and he felt an even larger smile blossoming.

_We are going to go home!_

The image of his eldest brother quickly emerged and his smile briefly hesitated.

"Wh-What about Toris? H-how will we—" Latvia began, his voice quickening in panic.

"I know it is going to be hard, but I have a plan settled. It is going to take a bit of time to enact, and a few sacrifices, ok?" Estonia explained quickly, drawing his attention away from the food and more towards his Latvia, "It is going to work, I promise. I need all the help I can get, starting with you."

Ravis nodded eagerly.

"I'll explain it to you tonight, ok? From there, we will have seven days to get all the preparations complete and then… If everything goes as planned, we should be able to get each other home."

_Home. _Latvia's eyes pricked with tears, but an elated smile shone on his face. _We are going to go home! _

"Home," Ravis repeated, and before Eduard could stop him, he buried his head into Estonia's stomach and hugged him. Latvia could feel his older brother ease into him and hug him back.

"It is going to be no easy task, ok Latvia?" Estonia whispered.

"I know," he confirmed, "But I know it will worth it."

The Baltics slowly separated.

"We best get back to work," Estonia decided with a sigh, "Before the food gets burnt."

"Yeah, work," Latvia repeated, but only one thought rung through his mind.

_We are going home. _

**Translations: **

**Steigties: Hurry! (Latvian)**

**Author's Note: **

**(sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry) **

**Guys I'm really sorry I haven't been updating quick enough. I know, as a reader myself, it is really annoying to have short-ish chapters come out after a long period of waiting. This is kind of a build up chapter, though I guess there was suspense…? I don't know, you tell me if you felt anything. **

**MY EXCUSE:**

**I have loved this song called Warriors by Imagine Dragons and I have been real busy trying to make the lyric video for it! I finished yesterday, and it will probably go onto my tumblr at some point. IT WAS FLIPPING 84 DRAWINGS LONG. Holy crap I think that is my longest lyric vid ever. Since I am done with said project, I will be more free to write and thus more and longer updates. **

**So yay! **

**Anyways, the song that I listened to while writing was Monster by Detektivbyrån and my all time favorite Latvian song: Es Skrienu by Lauris Reikniks. I thank Hetalia for getting me into European music because OH MY GOODNESS I LOVE EUROPEAN MUSIC (I'm counting the baltic's as east Europe…whoops) I've already memorized the song and bam. Now I know some Latvian. **

**Finally: Thank you guys so much for all your reads, reviews, and favorites. Means the world to me and always will! Now check out some Baltic music while you wait for the next chapter! **


	16. Chapter 16

** Okay, I have been working really hard on laying out these chapters, so it will all tie together nicely! I hope you enjoy Lithuania, Estonia, and Russia's Pov!**

Lithuania sat in the cramped closet, deciding it would be best to think of something other than his empty stomach. It was a dull pain, but the pain in his head and leg were _not. _They, instead, throbbed steadily with no sign of letting up. It didn't help that he was continuously mulling over the past events in his brain.

He had so many questions. What would become of him? What were his brothers doing? What was Russia doing? Did Estonia's call work? Lithuania did _not _like to be out of loop, and being stuck in Russia's room completely forced him out of his element. He desperately wanted Eduard to return and speak with him, since the silence was becoming a bit unbearable.

It took a few more hours until his prayers had been answered.

"Toris?" came a quiet and muted voice between the two walls. Lithuania, who had been busy twiddling his thumbs, was startled and jumped a bit in surprise.

"Estonia?" he asked back. Toris was relieved that he was using his voice again.

"N-no, it's me."

_Latvia? _Lithuania wondered.

"What are you doing here? Where is Eduard?" Lithuania questioned with worry.

"He and R-Russia went in-in town to do s-some 'business'…. I am not s-sure if he means g-government business or if he means _that _kind of business…." Ravis's voice seemed to increase in speed as he talked. Lithuania recognized this as one of many nervous traits his brother had.

"….Are you alright, Latvia?"

"Wh— Yeah, I'm fine," came a defeated reply.

"I mean, with your run in with Russia? I know he came home to immediately talk to you," Lithuania recalled with some hesitation.

"I'm fine. I mean, he didn't…. Well he _did _but well, I guess…" Latvia seemed tangled up in his words before he sighed and said, "He just talked with me. It's o-over now so I'll stop w-worrying about it."

Lithuania pressed his lips together, which were already dry. He knew his brother was withholding information, but he didn't want to press. Maybe if he gave Latvia a little more time, he would open up to him like he usually did.

"B-But that's not why I am here!" Ravis quickly diverted, "Estonia wanted me to retell you the p-plan."

_You have already come up with a plan, Eduard? _Lithuania tried to imagine the capabilities Estonia had that would surely be enhanced as soon as they left the Soviet Union. His brother had so much potential, and Toris desperately wanted him out of his dull, grey, and boring place and back in Estonia where he could develop, even as much as West Europe! _Slow it down… I'm thinking ahead of myself when I haven't even heard the idea…._

"Yes?" he prompted anxiously.

"Estonia reasons that Russia will do o-one of two things: He will let you out of c-confinement before three days or up, or he won't until a-after. E-Estonia says n-no matter what happens, we will do the plan three days from now, including today. S-so, the rest of today, tomorrow, and then the last— and o-on that last day the plan will go underway at 17:00, and it will be finished, if on schedule, b-by 17:30."

_Three days from now, at 17:00. _Lithuania repeated in his mind for clarity.

"Estonia is wanting me to l-leave first… And then he supposes he and you could l-leave together. He believes that i-if I reach Latvia, R-Russia will lose stability from w-within and you and him could slip out with the h-help of Mr. America and Bulgaria, and Miss Hungary…"

"Has Eduard contacted all of them already?"

"Yeah, he did the rest of the final ph-phone calls this morning…."

Toris sighed in relief. He was so, _so _happy Estonia decided that Latvia was the first to leave. If Latvia were to be left behind while either of the other countries ran, what would Russia do to him? How would Toris be able to live with himself knowing that he left his younger brother in the clutches of a madman?

"So how are we going to get you to Latvia?" Toris asked, realizing that his brother hadn't gotten to the part where he came in.

"Well, Estonia wanted you to be the main d-distraction so Russia would be diverted away from my country. I am going to r-retrieve Russia's key to this room on the day of escape and come upstairs while Estonia prepares dinner. He said that it would make more sense if you were let out before three days, since he would make it seem like a party for your release, but we a-are never sure what Russia is going to do…"

_Now that's an understatement. _

"If he keeps you in there for th-that long, Estonia will make the plan work some how and will keep Mr. Russia distracted while I go and free you. I think the only way we can get you o-outside safely is through the window, but you h-have to be careful because of the weather. I'll make sure that you have a coat and boots before you leave and I'll get your suitcase packed and place it by the outside fence. You are to walk to Obninsk, which is far enough from Moscow so it will be safe. Sorry for the long w-walk."

Lithuania frowned. Something wasn't adding up.

"Wait… Latvia. Why am I taking a suitcase when you are the one that's leaving?"

"I—We—Estonia s-s-said it would be more convincing to R-R-Russia if he sees that you are s-seriously heading to Lithuania. S-So it will be more believable," Ravis explained in a rush. Toris reluctantly agreed that the plan made sense, but the man was still a little doubtful.

"So… After I leave and get inevitably caught, you will be making your way to Latvia?" Lithuania repeated for confirmation.

"Yeah. I-I will be escorted with some North Europe countries who were willing to help, and they should be able to deliver me home since Estonia has already prepared all of the nations on how to pass borders and confirm passes with the police," Latvia illuminated, "B-By the time you and Estonia get caught, I will hopefully be past the border and Russia will be weakened enough so that you two can leave him shortly after."

Toris sucked in a breath. _Wow, Estonia really thought this one through. I can't believe he was able to make such arrangements in this short amount of time. _Thinking of facing Russia after being caught was darkly clouding his thoughts, but he cleared it away by thinking the foreign phrase; _Independence is underway. _

"It's really happening, isn't it, brālis?" Ravis said excitedly, "I mean— we have waited so l-long and it is finally happening…"

"Yeah… It really is, isn't it…." Lithuania repeated dreamily.

_Is this really happening? Are my brothers and I really going to achieve autonomy? _

Maybe this plan would work. If anything, he just hoped that Latvia would get back home, even if he wasn't able to accompany him. He knew that sacrifices had to be made. Even if his heart desired his country's freedom more than ever before.

"Oh sūdi!" Ravis cursed, which was a little unconventional for the little guy, "I-I am sorry, Toris, I have to go! We won't probably speak until the date!"

"Wait—!" Lithuania tried, but by the sound of running feet, he knew his brother was gone. "I wanted you to promise you'd be careful…"

Lithuania was left to the many thoughts that swirled around in his mind at the moment. What would he do when he got back? Would he talk to his people, or his government first? Who would he see? Mr. America? Poland? Maybe it was still a little too early for Poland… Even though they kept their peace (somewhat) over the phone, he knew that meeting with his old friend and partner would be no fun account. They had torn each other apart since those days, and even though the girly country never mentioned such things over the phone, he knew that Poland hadn't forgiven and forgotten as much as Lithuania hadn't forgiven or forgotten. No, seeing Poland would be quite a hassle….

_I'm getting ahead of myself again, _Toris thought, _I can't keep my hopes too high or they might come crashing down. No, I can worry about all of these things after I receive my true independence._

Even with that mindset, Lithuania still couldn't stop the flood of hope that tingled through his body. _No more Russia over my shoulder. No more terrifying nights. No more censorship of mind, intelligence, or heart… Freedom…_

The growl that erupted from the country's stomach reminded him that it was still three days away. It was still a long way to go, but he would endure. After all, that was what countries did.

0o0o00o00o0o000o0o0o0o00o

Estonia stepped out of the passenger seat of the car, pulling on his scarf and jacket when a gust of wind came to greet him. He quickly slammed his door shut and rounded the car to let Russia out from the driver's side. The larger man followed suit and took in a big breath as the crisp and biting air stung the little exposed skin on his face.

"General Winter is being very unreasonable today," Russia grumbled.

Eduard did not verbally comment on Russia's increasingly bad mood. He did not appreciate coming with Russia to the government meeting, nor did he like Russia's eerie compromise with the generals, either. Estonia or Lithuania usually would be the only ones allowed to go with Russia to such occasions, because of Eduard's secretary skills and Russia's general trust with Toris. Now that Lithuania was put under lock and key, Estonia was the next in line for Russia's harassment, for lack of better words.

Clad in his military outfit, Russia looked more ominous than usual. His many badges showed off his military prestige over all the countries conquered by the Soviet Union, while his eyes had hardened over again, as they always would when he saw any of the officials in town. And now that the weather was getting increasingly bad, Estonia found it hard to believe the Russia was going to stay mentally stable.

The two trudged their way back to the house, Estonia unlocking it and pushing it open with all of his might. The Baltic prayed to himself that Latvia had done all of the things he had asked of him. It was crucial if the plan was going to work. And with the insane man even more edgier, it was scary to imagine what would happen if they got caught.

_SLAM! _The door finally shut, and Eduard locked it with a sigh of relief. He really hoped Lithuania didn't die of frostbite when he left for Obninsk.

The two took off their boots and winter coats in silence, neither willing to break the silence. Eduard was relieved to smell the presence of dinner that didn't hint of any type of burning. Maybe Ravis had actually pulled off the Pelmeni, since Estonia had left him thorough instructions on how to make them. Sure enough, when Eduard had entered the kitchen, his brother was busy finishing off making the meal.

"You need any help?" he asked and looked at the three plates that had been made. His heart wrenched a little at the sight, knowing that Lithuania wasn't to accompany them. Lunch was hard enough, but knowing that they'd actually have to sit at the dinner table without Toris was kind of terrifying. Their eldest brother always seemed to know how to defuse any murderous intensions that would sometimes arise when Russia spoke with the Baltics. What would they do when he…?

_Do not worry yourself, _Eduard told himself, _You can manage. Everything is prepared. _

"No, I think I am doing pretty well, actually," Latvia said, "Could you grab the silverware and bring it over to the table? I bring the p-plates."

Eduard nodded and followed his brother into the dining room with everything needed. Latvia luckily didn't drop any of the food, and the two situated themselves in their appropriate places. The Baltics didn't dare touch the food until Russia positioned himself at the head of the table. He had undressed himself of his military uniform and had a more comfortable outfit on that didn't make him looked more intimidating than he already was.

Estonia knew that Latvia's eyes were trained on the empty chair across from him. Everyone was thinking about it, even Russia who declared loudly;

"Let us eat for those who could not make it here today."

Anger bubbled up from within Estonia. _It's his fault. _Maybe it was wrong to eat when Toris was deprived of the food. Estonia shook his head. _No, we need to be as healthy as we can if want this plan to work. Lithuania would also throw a fit if we didn't take care of ourselves. _Eduard settled his anger down and gave Latvia a reassuring look. Slowly, the countries began to eat in complete silence.

0o0o0oo00o0o0o

"Did you do everything that needed to be done?" Estonia asked Latvia, who was situated in their bed. Latvia looked nervous and fidgety, well more than usual.

"Yah, I told Lithuania the plan and I was able to check where the key was," Ravis retold, "The key was in the left hand drawer of his desk, just like you said."

Estonia sighed in relief.

"You didn't take it, right?"

"No, I just checked."

Eduard closed his eyes and laid his head back on to the pillow.

"Is it going to work, brālis? I mean, after Lithuania leaves?" Latvia whispered, "Are we really going to be ok?"

Estonia's mind raced. He didn't know an exact answer to that. Lithuania was so much better at comforting than he was. Not wanting to lie, Eduard simply stated;

"We will just have to pray that it will work smoothly. I will get you home, Ravis."

Latvia seemed semi-content with that answer and settled into their bed. The shaking that radiated off of his brother did not go unnoticed. There was someone missing from the Baltic's bed, and it was going to a cold night.

0o000o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Russia's mind was loose. He had forgot how many vodka bottles he had downed since he had retired to his room. Even if he tried to count the bottles that littered his bed and the ground, he probably couldn't have. His mind was just so _blurry. _All he remembered was that he had to face a few minor bosses…. Which to say in the least was unpleasant.

"Ivan?"

It was that voice that pulled him from his slippery grasp of consciousness. Who _was _that?

His mouth moved before his brain could register.

"Litva?"

Where was that voice coming from? It was coming from Litva, no doubt, though he didn't see the man anywhere.

"Where dijah go?" Russia slurred, finding that he was tangled in his bedsheets… but on the floor, "I don't see yah."

"The closet, Ivan, remember?" Lithuania prompted quietly, and Russia's eyes gazed lazily over to the closet. Taking a great amount of energy and grunting, Russia got off the ground and staggered towards said closet.

"What areyah doin' in there, Litva?" Russia giggled, wiping away some stray liquid from his mouth.

"I-I was put here, remember?" Russia did not.

Russia fumbled with the handle, but found it was locked.

"You're locked in there, Litva," Ivan stated in a pout.

"Y-Yes, I am, Ivan."

"How do I get yah out?"

"Y-You don't, Ivan."

"Why not?"

"You are _very _drunk…."

Russia frowned. He slumped up against the wall that connected with the closet.

"I'm not _that _drunk, Litva."

Lithuania did not reply to that.

Russia stared at his gloved hands. Slowly, and with a lots of difficulty, Ivan was able to pull them off. The scars that had been passed down to him from abusive countries, terrible neighbors, and unorthodox leaders stared up at him. He immediately felt the cold that bit at his hands, but that just triggered more memories.

"Do yah think that there really are sunflowers, Litva?" Russia asked in all seriousness, though his voice dipped pitches.

"There are sunflowers, yes," Lithuania said quietly.

Russia knew that Litva was the only one he had told about his little obsession about that certain flower. Ivan loved the word. _Sun_flower— Ivan related that with happiness and comfort. His country sometimes had sun, and when it did, he always tried to plant the flowers. It was almost always impossible, but the man still tried again and again. He used to be allowed to visit the European countries where he would sometimes see the flower, but now he was currently reminded that anyone who isn't in the Soviet Union was an enemy.

"Doyah think I'll see any of them soon?" Russia asked, while his eyes drooped tiredly.

"You will see them when you are ready, Ivan," Lithuania answered, but the Russian couldn't figure out what that was supposed to mean. His brain couldn't care less, and soon he fell into a drunken sleep beside Litva's closet.

His dreams were filled with sunflowers with all his friends there.

**Historical Notes:**

**17:00- 5:00. Russia uses both conventional time and military time. **

**America, Bulgaria, and Hungary: They were the first supporters of Baltic Independence, besides Iceland and his Nordic buddies. **

**Obninsk, Russia: It is around 100 kilometers from Moscow, or 62 miles for my fellow Americans. I wanted Lithuania away from the influence and control of Moscow, plus it is going to take him a lot of strength to get there. You can do it, Toris!**

**Poland and Lithuania's current relationship: I will go over this in future chapters, but at the time (and unfortunately still a part of our current time) there was much unrest between Poland and Lithuania due to various "back-stabbings" they did to each other. I have seen Lithuanian and Polish hate on the internet and it is quite sad. I really hope the two groups will eventually forgive each other for their mistakes. **

**Pelmeni: A type of Russian dumpling with meats, vegetables, or fish inside. It is closely related to Pierogie (Polish) and varenyky (Ukrainian). **

**sūdi: Shit! (Latvian)**

**Brālis: Brother (Latvian)**

**Russian slurs: I misspelled all of this on purpose, don't worry**

**Author's Note:**

**I am trying my hardest to get these chapters out. Independence is almost here! I can't wait to write the climax, which is coming up pretty flipping soon! Hang in there guys :) Russia's bipolarness is so interesting to write. **

**Thanks so much for so much awesome feedback! I love talking with you guys, and seeing that I have wrote this much makes me happy 3 Songs listened to: It's Time (Kat's Krazy Remix), The Dancing and the Dreaming (From How To Train Your Dragon 2), Blue Exorcist Soundtrack 12 Al (it does't really have a song title). Love you all! Ardievas!**


	17. Chapter 17

_**S-s-s-set up chapter **_

Estonia woke up with the worst headache. It felt like a thousand hammers had begun banging on his skull, much like when he heard the thousands of voices singing for him during the Baltic Way. Groaning, he slowly got into a sitting position. Ravis was quietly snoring beside him with no sign of waking up. Eduard figured that he'd let his brother sleep based on their not so fortunate experience last time.

Pushing himself away from the delight and comfort of the warm comforter, the Baltic slowly dressed himself in his uniform and wiped the sleep from his eyes. _A whole day of waiting…. _Estonia thought to himself as he slipped from their room, _A whole day of just doing chores normally while the other countries prepare for tomorrow. A whole day of not screwing up. _

Tip-toeing downstairs, Eduard found that luckily, no one else was there to greet him. Russia's sleeping habits had been unsystematic lately, but he was glad today was not one of those days. He had seen how tired and bitter the man was after talking with his bosses. It was always this way, but the man tended not to show it off to Estonia that much. Maybe it was because Russia was just so tired and frustrated he didn't care anymore.

_This plan… If it doesn't work properly…. We are all dead meat when dealing with Russia's temper, aren't we? _Eduard worried as he began to make coffee, _If the strategy doesn't work, then the blame will all be on me, won't it?_

Estonia sat at the kitchen table and sipped his coffee.

_But then again, it will be worth it if it _does _work. I want to be reunited with my people as much as anyone in this hell hole… I just have to promise that everything works…._

Eduard resituated his glasses, which had begun to slip off his face. His whole body felt jittery from the coffee, but he could tell that most of his energy came from the anxiousness of the situation. He just wanted it to happen. He didn't want to wait any longer. Even though he had been waiting _years _for such a thing to go underway, a _day _felt ten times longer.

He rummaged through all of the plans in head, checking and rechecking for any holes or problems. Though he was almost sure he had accounted for everything, Estonia couldn't subdue the feeling.

The Estonia took another sip of coffee.

Lithuania was equally jittery, but with a lack in coffee or any kind of nutrients. Toris's anxiousness mostly derived from the huge man who was snoring at an immense level right outside of his prison. The man would almost certainly have a hangover, and Russia tended to either be very apologetic and mopey, or angry and unpredictable— usually based on his drunkenness from the night before.

Ivan had acted so strange last night. He didn't act just angry; rather, he had displayed a wide range of emotions. He had started out depressed, yelling about his government and then moving onto the topic about himself. That had eventually travelled back to Lithuania, who he had yelled at because of the independence incident. Luckily, Russia was too far drunk to realize what he was doing or that the key that went to the closet was looped around his neck. So, even though the man threatened him through the door, he couldn't get in.

After that, Toris remembered hearing a lot of vodka bottles breaking before coming to the conclusion that Russia had displayed a fit before falling unconscious. Maybe it was his own worried natured that had driven Lithuania to call out Ivan's name to make sure he didn't, well, _die _from alcohol poisoning. As if, that man could hold his "little water" pretty well. Which meant, Russia must've drank _a lot _of liquor to get so drunk last night.

_It was probably because he talked with his government yesterday. They are probably mad at him for allowing me to declare my independence like that… _

Lithuania hugged himself. He was cold both cold and a bit fearful. The plan— that was his only hope if he wanted to survive this. Even though Toris didn't _like _to suffer, he would do anything to give Latvia a chance at freedom. They could be friends and brothers— but not under such stressful and scary situations. Lithuania couldn't help but have a checklist of things to do when he got back. He knew it would be pointless if their plan fell to shambles, but he clung to the hope that it would work.

He wanted to travel west Europe a little more than he did before. Maybe even go Mr. America's house, but as a friend and not an employee. He was little tired of East Europe and the cold. Somewhere sunny would be nice…

Though he had kept himself awake all night in fear of Russia, Toris felt himself falling asleep.

It was not for long.

0o0o0oooo0o

Toris had always been a light sleeper, so he would be awake and ready if something bad happened that his brothers couldn't control. This was exactly the reason why he jumped from sleep when he heard a groan from outside his confinement.

_ "Blyad'!" _Ivan cursed, making Lithuania whisk up from the ground and wobbly stand with support of the wall. In his mind, he would've called out to Russia to make sure he was ok, but just by the tone of his voice, he knew the man wasn't going to be reasonable in any sense.

Toris closed his eyes and waited silently as Russia stood, sliding his back onto the wall for help.

_ "Chert poberi_…"

A bottle of vodka was kicked aimlessly and the crunch of glass was heard underneath Russia's boots (which Lithuania figured he had been too brain dead to take off). The movement of the man quickened, and even though Toris couldn't see him, he knew Ivan had been begun angrily pacing. He was in the process of recollecting his thoughts from last night.

_Let your anger out here, do not bring it downstairs. _Lithuania pleaded silently.

Sure enough, the Russian began muttering more curses until a huge explosion of glass erupted. Toris melted into the wall behind him, keeping his mouth screwed shut as his boss demolished yet _another _room.

_He will stop. He will stop soon. _

Indeed, Russia did stop but not without making the largest and defeating blow that landed to the wall next to the closet. Toris did not move. He didn't want to venture into the realm that was Russia's wake of destruction.

Loud pants. A restless sigh. More crunching of glass. Footsteps growing closer. That was all the Baltic heard as the man neared the entrance of his jail. Lithuania desperately tried to make his body loosen and relax, to seem undisturbed by the events beforehand, as Ivan opened the door.

Momentarily blinded by light, Toris squinted up at the man.

"Litva, I need you to clean this room," Russia said, his voice even. Lithuania made his face just as placid.

"Yes, Ivan."

Russia set his jaw, noticing the way Lithuania was composing himself. Before, Russia might of commented about his defiance, but it seemed like the man was too tired to prove a point.

Russia turned sharply on his heels and walked to the door, locking it as he left.

That was the only time Lithuania gave himself the permission to exit the closet. _He really did it this time, didn't he? _He sighed as he looked at the mess. Glass was everywhere. And Toris meant everywhere. The walls, Ivan's bed, the floor… And the stench of vodka didn't help the situation. Lithuania grimaced when he noticed there was crimson blood that accompanied some of the remains.

Looking down at himself, he noticed that he was yes, still in his pajamas. Blood stained, dirtied pajamas. No shoes. Maybe if he stole a pair of Russia's…? Even though he was tiptoeing around bottle shards on his bare feet, it still felt good to move around. His muscles had become stiff with being cramped in a fairly small place and it was about time to use the bathroom again. Plus, he needed to be somewhat active if he was going to successfully climb out a window and walk for however many miles to where the checkpoint was. So much work to only be a distraction. But Toris knew it was worth it.

After cleaning himself up in the bathroom and finding that Russia's clothing closet was locked (figures), Lithuania resolved in tying some rags to his feet. He didn't care that he looked silly, he just didn't want bloodied feet before tomorrows escape. Everything had to be perfect.

He had a feeling it wouldn't.

0o0o0o0o

The rest of the day had been the most tense and stressful experience for the other two Baltics. It had first begun when Estonia greeted Russia at the dining table, where Russia's tray of food had been waiting. Russia had come down, but not with his brother. It would be a little harder to manage the plan now. But no matter, he would get through this as long as everything else would move smoothly.

Russia had looked like shit. Like he had just been pulled out of bed that very second. The smell of alcohol was revolting, but of course Eduard wouldn't comment. Also, the expression of disgust and anger was _awfully _apparent on the man's face. Even if he felt hope of independence rushing through him, Estonia felt his interior stumble when he looked into those callous eyes. If Russia was going to keep this mood up, Ravis would have a heart attack…

A little later, Latvia almost did. Having woke up a little later than usual, the teen was a tad bit disoriented and almost tripped into the formidable man when he was rounding the corner to the kitchen. Eduard had heard the terrified squeak, and rushed to his younger brother as the Russian left.

There was nothing to do but sit through it all. They had no more preparation to complete, no last phone calls, no risky measures to take. They were completely ready. Except, they had to wait through Russia's rising annoyance and pent up rage. For a whole day. _Everything _happened tomorrow. How were they going to get through today if they couldn't _do _anything?

"I-I-I don't think I can do this, brālis," Ravis whispered to his brother as they stood in the library, rearranging books, "Wh-What if i-i-i-it doesn't w-w-work?"

The sheer amount of shakiness in the boy's voice startled Eduard.

"It will be fine, _vend. _I will get this to work, just you see," Estonia promised without taking his eyes off his job.

"B-B-But when Russia gets home, o-o-or figures out what we are doing," Latvia was panicking now, his breath hitching at each stutter as if he were gasping for breath, "Oh God, brālis! What will he d-do when h-he realizes! He will kill us!"

By the looks of it, Ravis was having a mini panic attack. And Estonia had no idea what to do. If Latvia had one of these, Lithuania was always there to calm him down, but with his bigger brother gone, what was Estonia supposed to do? Placing down the book he had been holding, Eduard bent down to his brother's level and rested his hands on his shoulders.

"Hey, hey look at me," Estonia whispered, giving him a sad and shaky smile, "It's going to be ok. We are going to be ok, I'll make sure of it."

Latvia hugged him, softly crying into Eduard's chest. The older Baltic's throat felt scratchy as tears unwillingly rose to the surface. Hugging him back, Estonia murmured through Ravis's tussled hair;

"I promise, I won't let him hurt you."

Eduard's heart lurched when he realized he probably didn't have the power to keep that promise.

0o0o0o0o00o

Toris was experiencing that same kind of helplessness. He was deadbeat. His eyes drooped without warning when he worked, and he had been working for a _long _time. Two hours to be exact. On just trying to clean up the rampaging mess Russia had made.

Lithuania was sure his fatigue was from lack of sleep, which he desperately needed, already knowing he wasn't going to get much more with all the intensity of the next day. But, then again, he hadn't eaten anything for a day and a half, so he naturally felt tired.

Maybe it was the alcohol. The overpowering smell of it was throwing off his senses a little bit. Most of the bottles were gone, but it's contents still stained the regal carpet and furniture of the huge chamber. Even if he didn't drink any, the scent of the vodka had a narcotic appeal to him. If he could just fall asleep…

Toris had already fallen, half asleep, into his upright broom. He was sleep standing, though his little piece of tranquil paradise was shattered when Russia reentered is room. Lithuania bolted into a dizzy stance, trying to piece together the image of Ivan as he neared.

"I think that's enough," Russia commanded, looking around at the room, "Come on, Litva."

In his mind, he had hoped Ivan would've let him out of the imprisonment, but apparently that wasn't what he had in store. They were just going to have to get him out the hard way. Begrudgingly, Toris set the broom down and limped back to Russia.

0o0o0o0o0o

The Soviet Union House went to sleep later that night— two unable to sleep, one creeping through nightmares, and one unaware of the secrets that would overflow when tomorrow would hit. Because tomorrow, the red snow would fall.

**Translations:**

**Blyad: Fuck! (Russian)**

**Chert poberi: Dammit (Russian)**

**Brālis and Vend: Brother (Latvian and Estonian respectively)**

**Notes: **

**GUYS NEXT CHAPTER IS THE CHAPTER. THE BIGGEST, BADDEST, AND MOST INTENSE CHAPTER YET. This was basically a set up chapter, but it is a set up for something good, I promise! I have been planning this chapter out forever and for you guys out there who are super vigilant, you may notice some foreshadows that had reappeared in earlier chapters. ALSO: I have left a few goodies on what will happen in future chapters. :) They are very subtle, but I will explain at least one of them in later chapters since it is really hard to catch. **

**I am super excited to start writing next chapter, so as soon as I am done with this week, I will start writing the BIG ONE: CHAPTER 18. Oh my goodness I am excited :) This will mean, of course, that it will take much longer to write, since it is going to be around 4,000-6,000 words long. **

**Soundtrack: Ghost (Mystery Skulls) and How Far We've Come (Matchbox Twenty) **

**Thanks: THANK YOU ALL! I have almost 3,000 views and I really don't know what to say! I've never had this much recognition for a story before and it makes me indefinitely happy :) All of your feedback is both inspirational and informative! I love hearing what you guys have to say. Next chapter will be a big hug from me to you (I hope it turns out good! I didn't mean to overhype it)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey! Sorry, this isn't the full chapter that I promised, but I really wanted it to end where it did so enjoy! **

Latvia shot from sleep. Sputtering for breath, he placed his hand on his chest to feel his racing heartbeat slowly settle down. He had a _terrible _nightmare. Images of a deadly Russia ready to kill him and his people, his brothers slain, the plan crumbling before his eyes. Every possible bad outcome had surfaced in his mind in the restless night before. Ravis's eyes scanned quickly over the room, making sure that the terror that was Mr. Russia didn't appear. Luckily for Latvia, the man did not greet him. Neither did his brother, who had apparently taken his leave.

"Right!" he exclaimed suddenly, remembering he had duties to accomplish.

The teen swung himself from the empty bed, shivering at the sharp Russian morning air before pulling an empty suitcase from under the bed. Clicking it open, Latvia went over to their shared cabinet, he grabbed spare clothing Lithuania would need. His fingers would not stop shaking.

_ You need to be strong. You need to be strong and not helpless if you want to contribute to this plan. _

Ravis clasp his hands together and brought it up to his forehead, closing his eyes as he did.

"Please, please, please let this work. We need this," he whispered. Slowly, his shaking mellowed and he continued packing things for his brother. His eyes became glossy as he stowed a picture of the three of them away in between the folds of Toris's white button up shirt. "Please let this work."

The suitcase was clipped shut and Latvia rummaged through his own clothing until he pulled out his uniform and quickly buttoned himself. Before he could back himself out of it, the Latvian snatched the suitcase and slipped out into the hallway.

Estonia had let him sleep in again. Latvia still felt bad that he had said such mean things to his brother when he hadn't woke up on time. Though it had felt like a long time ago, Ravis wouldn't let it go, and it looked as if Eduard hadn't either. But they would move on. They would all move past everything that happened in this hellhole.

As he neared the front door, Latvia held the suitcase closer to his chest. He hadn't sensed Russia, but then again, the man was known for popping up unexpectedly on occasion. Ravis wouldn't let that happen today. Today was different. Things were going to change.

Boots laced and jacket settled, Latvia slipped outside with suitcase hidden and shovel present in his right hand. Ravis's cover story was that he was clearing snow from the front steps when he was really hiding the luggage by the head gate— the one that separated them from the rest of Russia.

Ravis hurried. He didn't want to even _think _about what Russia would do if he saw him…. Just the thought made Latvia shaking all over again. Reaching the gate, he quickly stowed the baggage in-between the metal gate and a heavily coated bush. Ravis was satisfied that it was well concealed, and turned to begin to clear the snow-filled entryway.

The first mission had been completed.

0o0o0o0

Later, after his younger brother had successfully stowed Toris's clothes away, Eduard had a tray of breakfast ready for Russia. With head up high, Estonia walked towards Russia's office where the man had himself stored away. Luckily, he had come down just a bit after Ravis had begun shoveling ice and snow. He, unfortunately, had looked tired and grouchy. Not a good way to start the day. But, no matter, Estonia would deal with it and let this plan move its way along. He would make it work.

Rapping his knuckles on the door of the office, Estonia called out a brisk, "Mr. Russia, your breakfast is ready."

"Voydite."

Eduard did just this, balancing the tray in his left hand as he pulled the door open. Russia sat hanging over his paperwork, his tired eyes lazily scanning the piles of reports. Sometimes, the man would be so busy that he would ask Estonia to personally forage his name on documents since he was so sick of rewriting _Ivan Braginski _several hundred times. He hadn't done that recently… The papers he was going through must be too important for Eduard's eyes.

Carefully setting down the tray, Estonia glanced his eyes at Russia's hands, making sure there were no traces of blood on his thick gloves that could come from his brother. He still didn't know Toris's condition. He hadn't seen him since the night before his capture, and he could only imagine his wounds. Was he badly injured or just a little beat up? Was Russia's supplying him with water? Did he have a blanket? So many of these thoughts crossed Estonia's mind, but he didn't let it physically show that he was mildly distressed. Instead, he put on an even-tempered face and watched Russia take a sip of his morning tea.

Eduard stood straight, poising his body to look as proper as possible before he announced;

"Mr. Russia, I would like to make a banquet tonight on behalf of our insolence and wrong doings in your house. I want this to be an apology from us to you."

_ This _made Russia look up from his tea. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow and clasped his hands in thought.

"So you have come to your senses, Estonia?" Russia began, staring deeply into the Baltic's eyes, "You want to make up for all these acts of nonsense?"

Anger settled its way into Eduard's stomach, but he tried to push past it.

"Yes, I personally want to make the meal. I will begin early to get everything done. In place of my absence, I will have Latvia do all of my chores that I am missing today."

Estonia stated this, not posed it as a question. Either way, he knew Russia could say no, but for the plan to work he had to…. _Had to _agree. Eduard tried to settle the pleading look he had on his face.

"Hmmm," Russia drew out, looking exhausted in his cushioned chair, "Yes, maybe a feast will bring this house back in order."

Letting out a breath, Estonia did a victory dance in his mind. Now for the hardest part.

"Will Lithuania be able to come out? So the whole house is present for the meal?" Estonia asked, trying to keep his voice as steady and calm as possible.

Russia glared at this.

"Was that what you were trying to do? Get him out of confinement, Estonia?" Russia growled.

"No, no!" Eduard back peddled, "I just want to get the house back together again, that is all…"

Russia seemed to relax a bit, not so defensive as before. But, the man shook his head.

"No, no… Litva needs to learn his lesson. He hasn't done that yet. He will be come out when it is time," Russia justified. Dejected, Estonia nodded before bowing slightly and taking his leave from the room.

"Oh, and before you leave, Estoniya, remember to make some _borscht. _I will have some tradition in this little celebration of ours, da?" Russia hummed, pointing those ominous eyes at Eduard as he reached the door.

"Yes, Sir."

0o0o0o0o

Latvia came inside, his fingers stiff with cold, but as fidgety as a person could ever be. Shoveling snow was always tiring to him, but he had been so focused of the fact that independence was _today _that he had finished a whole hour before he usually would have. His nightmares had leaked into day and he just couldn't stop thinking about the plan. It _had _to work!

Kicking off his snow filled boots, Ravis undid his winter coat and threw off his gloves before sinking into the bench in fatigue. He allowed himself a minute to collect himself before entering the kitchen to retrieve some breakfast from his hardworking brother. Estonia was already preparing foods that would take a long time to cook, like Russian Black Bread, which Latvia could already smell.

_ That must mean Russia agreed to having the big meal. _Latvia thought in relief.

"Your breakfast's on the counter, Ravis," Estonia said without turning away from his mixing bowl.

"Paldies," Latvia thanked as he sank into his chair in the large kitchen. He ate his blinchiki fast, too anxious not to.

"Can you take care of the laundry?" Estonia asked, dripping some of the mixture he had been stirring into a saucepan, "I also need you to take care of the upstairs rooms for me while I'm baking."

"Yeah… I'll do that," Latvia mumbled through chews.

Mission two, complete.

0o0o0o0o

Lithuania woke up with a light migraine and empty stomach. He was glad he had fallen asleep last night. Luckily, he had been so tired that night terrors had not accompanied him and instead he had a blissful, dreamless night. Now that he was awake, he was aware of two things: he didn't know what time it was nor did he know how to tell when it would 17:00. Worried, Toris got up from his cramped-up ball on the ground and stretched to the best of his ability. His back was tweaked and his ribs hurt like hell, but it would be worth it.

Latvia was going home. He would make sure of that.

Toris tried listening for the sound of anyone outside. He couldn't hear the boom of Russia, or the stutter of Latvia, or the calm and collect drone of Estonia. He wanted to see them. He knew he would see Ravis right before leaving, but he wouldn't get to say goodbye to Eduard. After being recaptured, he would see his brother again, so it wouldn't matter. Though, that would not be the best of conditions of seeing each other again.

Lithuania darkly chuckled to himself and shook his head.

No, that would be _terrible _conditions to see his brother. They would be dead meat, no doubt. Hopefully, Russia would be weakened by the time Latvia made it to his home… But even then… Ivan would be at his angriest.

Not only had they lied, but they had stolen from him, left without permission, called without permission, and were getting their independence. _Wait, _Lithuania thought with a frown, _When is Latvia going to declare independence? He has to tell Russia before he leaves, or his autonomy isn't valid… _It bothered Toris that he hadn't thought of this before. Was Ravis going to do it just after he left? Before? During the chase?

Great. Now Lithuania had worried himself all over again.

He knew he had no power as of the moment, and he would have to accept that. If he tried anything now, whether or not to help his brothers, he would throw off the whole mission. He had to keep a calm head, like always.

His stomach grumbled loudly in reply.

o00o0o0o

Estonia could not help looking at the clock. It hung right next to the stove, so he didn't look suspicious as he checked the time every minute, but his checks were becoming erratic. It was 13:00 right now. _How is it already so late? Wasn't it just morning? Or maybe it is too early? Maybe things need to speed up more? _The Baltic had to redo the mixture for the Kazakh Noodles, since he had been worrying too much and hadn't read the recipe properly.

_ Three and half hours till the start of dinner. Three hours forty-five minutes till Ravis retrieves the key from Russia's office. Four hours until Lithuania escapes… _

He ferociously kneaded the dough in front of him as he became more and more uneasy.

_ Four and half hours till Russia goes berserk when he realizes Lithuania is gone. Six hours till Lithuania reaches Odbninsk… hopefully. _

Estonia stopped and shut his eyes.

_ Calm down, lollpea. Be calm._

He could do this. He had to.

It didn't take long for the next few hours to drag by as Eduard prepared dishes of all sorts. Borscht, Abzhorka salad, pelmeni, Kazakh noodles, buckwheat kasha with liver, and Baba romovaya cake. It took time to reheat items that had already begun cooling down, and then even more time to set the dining room table up without the help of his brothers. Rechecking that everything was situated, Estonia went to fetch Russia and then his brother, whose job to retrieve the key to Russia's room would soon come into play.

The clock struck 16:30.

Russia was still cooped up in office, but it looked like his mood had settled down a bit. He seemed happy to see Eduard, who stood straight in the doorway.

"Dinner is ready, Sir," Estonia stated. He tried not to stiffen his body when Russia got to his feet saying a quick, "Good, I need a break from paper work."

Eduard led the way down through the hall and into twisting into the large display of food. Pleased, Russia took seat at the head of the table, glancing his eyes all around.

_ Ravis, you better be in and out of his office in the next three minutes or I swear—_

"It has been too long since we have had our last feast, hasn't it?" Russia proclaimed, interrupting Estonia's thoughts. Snapping to attention, the Baltic agreed with a nod, watching Russia pour himself a glass of vodka.

"Where is little Latvia? You will find him, da?" Russia ordered as he quickly drank the shot of alcohol.

"Yes, sir," Estonia mumbled, taking his leave. As soon as he was out of eyesight, he sprinted down the hall to where he knew his brother was.

_ Jumal tänatud! _

Ravis was just exiting the office quietly.

"Vend!"

His smaller brother jumped fearfully and sharply turned to Estonia. Quickly, relief and bits of annoyance came back into Latvia's wide eyes when he recognized his brother.

"Sūdi! You scared me half to death!" Latvia cursed, lightly smacking Estonia on the arm.

"Hey!" Eduard snapped, "I needed to get you, you were taking too long and Russia is already seated."

"Alright, alright," muttered his brother who folded his arms across his chest in a child like manner, "Calm down."

Estonia sobered and dropped his tone.

"Did you get it?"

"Yeah, it's done."

Eduard felt a little better. Everything was running smoothly so far, but he couldn't stop worrying.

"Eduard, you look like Toris when he is worried," Ravis smiled, looking up at his older brother's face.

The Baltic blinked, suddenly aware on his tight eyebrows and searching eyes. He softly smiled. _Is this what you do all the time, vend? _Estonia thought sadly, _You always worry about us, and now we get to return the favor. Please don't worry anymore._

When the duo walked into the dining room, Ravis's playful smile dropped and Eduard's heart instantly felt heavy again.

"I'm glad you could join us, Latvia," Russia said, a little mockingly, but full of power. Estonia still noticed the tired way the man carried himself, but didn't comment.

"Y-Y-yes sir."

They seated themselves and waited for Russia to take the first bite. It was an unsaid rule, but important. The Russia poured another glass of vodka for himself and smiled at the other two. Raising the glass, he boomed;

"For the Soviet Union and its supreme survival."

Estonia and Latvia raised their glasses, which contained plain water, and they repeated the ironic phrase in a mumble. When Russia knocked back his glass and sighed a sound of content, the two knew it was time to eat.

It was a lot of food and it had taken a lot of time. Estonia kept getting small complements from Russia who seemed to make the most of the night by trying a lot of each plate. But the words went over the country's head as he watched the clock tick slowly by. He felt Latvia fidget in his seat as 17:00 grew nearer, and watched Russia's curious glance at the small teen.

"Latvia, do you need to use the restroom?" Russia asked, looking both annoyed and mildly concerned.

Ravis jumped in his seat.

"I-I-I, uh, y-yes sir. That is wh-what I need, sir! A restroom b-b-break! I w-will be back momentarily!" he squeaked, suddenly jumping to his feet and walking briskly out of the bright room.

Estonia kept his eyes locked on the food before him, not even _dreaming _of looking into Russia's eyes at the moment. This was the moment. It was 16:57, almost perfect timing. All his brother had to do was unlock the door, retrieve Toris, and release him to the outside world. They could do this. They _were _doing this.

_ Ravis, please, set our brother free. _

o00o00o00o

It had been a long time since Latvia had shaken this much. The last time, he had been recaptured by Russia after a moment of independence. That had not been good years. But now, his whole body trembled as he carried the clothes that he would give his brother. The heavy key was settled in his pant pocket, and was quickly pulled out and shoved into the lock. He scanned the hall, taking in the stairwell where Russia could possibly him, before twisting the key and pushing his way into the man's room.

The room had changed a bit since Ravis had last seen it. There were scrapes and cuts lining the walls, and chips of the wooden floorboards missing. It looked as if a mini tornado had came rampaging through the room. Latvia bit his lip, trying to pull himself out of the trance he had put himself in, before rushing to the closet door where his brother was.

"T-T-Toris?" Ravis whispered frantically, placing the same key into the slot.

"I am right here, Ravis," came a soft reply.

Latvia swung open the door and helped pull his brother out. Lithuania wheezed a bit, but quieted himself with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Are those for me?" he asked, and Ravis numbly handed the bundle of clothes and nodded.

His eyes scanned his older brother. He was most definitely beat up a bit, with a bad bruise that was beginning to mellow out under his eye. His hair was tangled and greasy and he looked awfully pale. Not to mention skinny.

"A-Are you a-alright?" Latvia stammered, his lower lip quivering over the damage inflicted on his beloved brother.

Lithuania looked up from slipping on his jacket, but did not stop. Giving the same soft smile as he always did, he said;

"Of course I'm alright. You didn't think I'd give in to Russia so easily, did you?"

Ravis blinked back tears and held his hands in unrest. No words slipped from his tongue, no he was too scared. Too scared to think that Russia could do that again. To all of them.

"But more than that," Lithuania diverted, "Are _you _alright? You look terrified."

"B-B-Because he could hurt y-you again, or Estonia, or m-me…" Latvia whispered. Toris got up from tying his shoes and made his way to his youngest brother. His eyes swam with kindness and comfort, though tears glossed over them. Ravis felt himself being pulled in for a soft hug, his head resting on Toris's chest. That was when he couldn't contain it any longer. He forced himself to stay silent, but he cried heavy tears. He didn't want his brother taken away from him. He didn't want anyone to suffer anymore. He just wanted to _go home. _

"Oh, brōlis…" Lithuania breathed, pulling him in closer, "It is going to be alright. I will get you home. Just think, you will be home by the end of tomorrow! You will be fine, I-I promise you that."

Ravis felt a sob rack his body once more. He couldn't say…. He wouldn't say what he really wanted to tell his brother. So instead, he pushed himself from him and looked Toris in the eyes.

"Es tevi mīlu," he whispered feeling his heart twist in ache.

His older brother's eyes told so much. They said to Latvia that he was loved, it showed how much Lithuania was willing to stake for him, it conveyed that he wanted nothing more but to protect his little brother. It made Ravis want to cry even more, and even if his mind willed him to have a panic attack, he tried his best to give his brother one last, memorable look.

"Aš…" Lithuania began, and Latvia could hear the emotion in his voice, "Aš myliu tave. Aš tave labia myliu."

Toris pulled away from him and tore his hair from his hair tie, letting the waves of brown settle upon his neck. He checked around the room quickly, making sure he had everything before making it to the large window. The Baltic opened it, letting in the harsh Russian cold, but it seemed as if Lithuania was embracing the blow of wind. Turning, Toris made eye contact with Ravis one more time, a smile lining his face.

"Tell Eduard I love him too and will see him soon. Please be careful, and enjoy your country, Latvija,"

And with that, his brother slid down the slippery shingles of the roof and disappeared into the blackness of the night. It was then that Ravis knew he had to move, or else, the rest of the plan wouldn't work. But his emotions crashed through as he slipped out of the room. He felt the tears run off his face as he attempted to lock the door shut, but his hand was so shaky it was nearly impossible. Finally the lock clicked shut.

Latvia sighed in shaky relief. He had completed the mission. He could breathe with his brother out of harms way. All he had to do now was-

_ "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, LATVIA!?" _

Ravis squeaked at the sound of Russia's voice. Now, there was no way to stop the shaking, but it didn't stop the Baltic from propelling himself towards the raging demon himself in hopes of slowing him.

"M-M-MR. RUSSIA!" he screamed, planting his feet into the ground and pushing on the large man's stomach with all his might, "P-P-P-PLEASE!"

One swat to the head had Latvia flying into the wall. Blackness darkened his vision. He was suddenly on the ground, staring as Russia ran to his door, opening it, and shrieking in frustration and anger when he found that his Lithuania was gone.

Slowly, Latvia began pulling himself to his feet, groaning when he felt his head throb from the impact. The footsteps of Russia pounded into the floorboards as he rushed past the dazed Latvia and down the steps where more screaming and yelling ensued.

_ Estonia!_

Pushing through the pain in his head, Ravis began sprinting down the stairs after Russia, who was currently not at the front door. Instead, Eduard was standing there, like a guard and Russian cursing echoed out from Russia's office. He was on the phone, speaking so fast and so angrily Latvia couldn't help but whimper.

"V-V-Vend, do not come down here," Estonia ordered loudly, stopping Latvia in his descent.

"B-B-But—!"

The sound of Russia's precipitous footsteps interrupted their short talk. He was coming back.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God…" Latvia mumbled, terrified out of his mind.

The man, looking more livid than Ravis had ever seen him in all his years working, stormed past the stairwell and towards the front door, and consequently Eduard.

"IF YOU DON'T FUCKING MOVE, ESTONIA, I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU," the demon swore vehemently.

Latvia could not breathe. His legs had gone to useless jelly. The metal pipe Russia so loved was brandished in his hand. He could _kill _them. He could really kill them!

"Russia, I want you to calm down," Estonia said evenly, raising his hands, "Lithuania is meant to go home—"

But, before his brother could say one more word, Russia was barreling at Estonia with pipe raised. Latvia screamed when the pipe swung forward drilling a hole in the wall above Eduard's head. The Baltic dodged, no longer trying to soothe the immensely angry person, and instead bounced around for his own life.

_ Wh-What do I DO?! _Ravis thought hurriedly. His legs moved on their own, and soon he was staring at an insane fight between Estonia and Russia. Estonia threw his own punches, but he was mostly on the defensive, while Russia swung his pipe like no tomorrow.

"STOP IT!" Latvia cried out, his voice dying when he saw Eduard get slammed into the wall, nearly getting a broken skull from Russia's endless pummels.

He wanted to move. He really wanted to help as his brother fought back the best he could. But… He was petrified. What help would he be?

_ But I HAVE to h-help!_

Eduard push Russia back, farther from the front door than he was before. But Russia had grabbed Estonia, pulling the two down to the ground in a heap. Russia raised the pipe, ready to slam it down, completely crazed with revenge and violence.

"NOO!" Latvia screamed. His instinct to run away had faded as he launched himself at Russia, aimlessly hitting and crying and begging for Russia to stop. Ravis, being even more small and defenseless as his brother, was thrown back like a rag doll. He hit the wall behind the fight, completely dazed by the large blow. Next to him, the cabinet full of china swayed precariously.

Blood running into his vision, he knew what he had to do. Getting to his feet, Ravis placed his hands on the expensive piece of furniture.

_ One._

Russia rolled back, beginning to strangle Estonia who looked like he was about to give out.

_ Two._

The Russian didn't even see Latvia as began pushing the heavy but unstable cabinet.

_ Three. _

That was the moment that everyone's world shattered into a million fragments of broken glass.

**Translations:**

**Voydite: come in (Russian)**

**Paldies: Thank you (Latvian)**

**Lollpea: Idiot (Estonian)**

**_Jumal tänatud!: Thank God! (Estonian)_**

**Vend; brōlis: Brother (Estonian and Lithuanian)**

**Sūdi: Shit! (Latvian)**

**Es tevi mīlu: I love you (Latvian)**

**Aš myliu tave. Aš tave labia myliu: I love you. I love you very much. (Lithuanian)**

**Latvija: Latvia (Lithuanian)**

**Foods:**

**Russian Black Bread: Rye bread. Really popular in Russia. **

**Blinchiki:****very thin pancakes, like a crêpe**

**Kazakh Noodles:****Made with scallions and Tuzduk sauce**

**Borscht: Beet soup :P Typical Russian food. My friend hates it, but her dad loves it because he was born in Russia**

**Abzhorka salad:****Carrots, pickles, mushrooms and such, which a bunch of mayonnaise. Add some meat in there and you have yourself some hearty Russia salad**

**Pelmeni: Dumplings (I've talked about them before)**

**Buckwheat kasha with liver: Kasha is a native Russian dish. A native Russian proverb is, "You can't feed a Russian without kasha", which I found interesting. From all kinds of meats and the base is usually derived of milk/cream or fish/meat broths**

**Baba romovaya cake: (Baba= grandma) Usually a little cake with cherry-rum mixture on top. **

***if you are wanting to learn how to make any of these recipes, visit ruscuisine (the website). It is very useful!***

**Historical Note:**

**Latvia barricades (aka cabinet): January 1991- The people build barricades around possible targets (Riga and Ulbroka) of the Soviet police. This was after their declaration of independence a year earlier (yes I know I am throwing time around like a baseball, but I don't care anymore. I just really wanted to recognize this event) 15,611 people have claimed to participate in this bet, with 6 of them dying and several captured/beaten by Soviet loyalist and police. The Latvian people held onto these barricaders, even after the event, to show their strength and resistance to Russia. Troops tried to take out these, but many Latvian people resisted. A few stayed into in the independence of Latvia. To me, Latvia's action of knocking down the cabinet is in a way a "barricade". It's barring Ivan from reaching either of his brothers, while hurting himself in the process. I foreshadowed this event REALLY early on in my book, which was super SUPER subtle. Basically, I mentioned a few times in chapter 2 that the cabinet was really shaky! I did mention it a little more than necessary, for this reason :) **

**Author's Note:**

**Alright, I made my longest chapter ever! I almost included Lithuania's escape and more drama in this chapter, but I decided I was going to end on the note that I did. I thought that was pretty suspenseful for you guys to dwell on ;P Don't worry, Toris's POV will be the main focus of next chapter, which should come out soon. Sorry that I didn't pack everything into this chapter!**

**Soundtrack: Riptide (Vance Joy); Scary Dubstep Drops 2012 (for that insane part with Russia); Surechigau Kokoro to Kokoro (from Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! I played this to get into an emotional mood when Lithuania and Latvia are saying goodbye); ** **Ist Es Immer (Attack on Titan OST. I was recommended to listen to this from an anonymous comment. Thanks whoever you are!) **

**Thank you guys! I am so happy to have you guys as readers. Every view, comment, and favorite makes my day. Recommendations, conspiracies, questions, or corrections are always welcome when reading Rise and Fall! I love to hear what you guys think!**

**On that note: What do you think will happen to the Baltics? **

**Love you all: Bye and happy holidays for any holiday you celebrate! **


	19. Chapter 19

**Lots and lots of Toris! **

Lithuania practically fell off the slick rooftop. It didn't take long for the nation to find himself in a heap of snow of the ground with the light of Russia's home pouring over him. Toris groaned, feeling the suppression in his ribs, before getting to his unsteady feet. Taking a last glance back at the house, the Baltic smiled in a sad nostalgia through the pain.

_I will be back, _Lithuania thought, _But it will be with my brothers' freedom. _

And with that in mind, he made his way through the snow towards the iron gate surrounding the house. Just before leaving, Lithuania found the hidden suitcase that Latvia had concealed for him. He snatched it into his arms and opened the door to his little brother's freedom.

Adrenaline, fear, and happiness all rushed through Lithuania's veins. How could it not? He was marching, rather _limping, _towards the rights of the people who needed to be granted such liberties. The reason why the pain in his body didn't bother him was because it was all worth it. He could feel the wind and cold blowing through him, chilling him to the bone, but it didn't faze him. All that mattered was moving forward. And that wasn't a problem, since he had a long way to go.

The night was almost completely desolate. There were few people out when Toris slipped through the town of Moscow, but now that he was exiting the capital, there were little to no people walking about. It didn't bother the Baltic, but it made him look suspicious. Lithuania kept his head down and his eyes trained on his shoes as he walked past the Russians he did see. The one thing that worried him, though, was the fact that he had seen more than five officers in the last hour.

_I hope Russia didn't discover my absence this soon! It's far too early for evading the police! _

Lithuania pulled his hood up, concealing his distinctive look, and continued through the smaller districts outside of Moscow. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, which made it hard to ignore his injuries. The cold was getting fiercer, his head and side wasn't getting any better, and Toris only had his firm will to keep him going.

A siren wailed in the distance. Toris sucked in a short and choppy breath, stopping for a moment to hear any traces of Russian police or soldiers. Faint conversations could be heard from behind. Lithuania swallowed thickly, gripping the suitcase in a tight embrace before continuing forward.

_Please, please do not come this way. _He willed. He was not too many miles away from Russia's home, even if he had been traveling for quite some time now. They could easily catch up to him in cars or their military trucks. _I can't let that happen. _

When the noise was becoming too close for Lithuania's comfort, the nation ducked into the shadows of a small store's garbage bin. Toris was crouched on the snowy ground with his gloved hands over his heart and his suitcase situated on his lap. Shutting his eyes, he waited for the military crew to pass.

_I will have to wait a bit for these guys to leave, but by then it may be too late to successfully get out of this city. _

Toris heard footsteps rushed and crunch through the fresh powder.

_If military people are up and about now, currently 19:30, then that must mean Russia had seen my absence…. _Lithuania frowned in quiet concern. _Hopefully Ravis has declared his independence by now and has left the house. The Nordics or Mr. America were supposed to help him, right? _

He would have to trust those nations to return his little brother home.

The footsteps grew too faint for Lithuania to regard them as a threat, so the Baltic slowly and painfully got to his feet, using the suitcase as a crutch. His body had gone half numb from not moving around the last twenty minutes and it took a little bit of walking before the restraint in his tight muscles went away.

His eyes swept the surroundings for any loose officers or anyone with the red symbol on their clothes. Luckily, he found none, and continued limping through the town.

_Obninsk- 20 miles _A sign read in Russian.

_I have already gone forty? _Lithuania thought, sneezing against the cold, _My adrenaline must've helped a lot…._

But now, Toris could feel the weather affecting his every moves. Before, he had been able to ignore the cold, but the wind was blinding and the cold had leaked through his double layers of clothing. Tugging his jacket closer wasn't helping, and it was causing his pace to weaken more as time progressed.

_Why did it have to be so damn cold? _Lithuania inwardly moaned, cursing Russia and his forever winter, _Why couldn't I be an underling to some one in a hotter climate? Maybe I would actually survive my escape there. _

He had reached the point where towns were far more stretched out and instead was accompanied by periods of trees and bare fields of ice and snow. It was in these places where Toris felt most vulnerable, with no lights or alibi to why he was trekking through the bare roads at night.

This was about the time Lithuania's vision began blurring. Maybe it was because Russia hadn't given him sufficient water that morning, or from the lack of food, or from the blistering cold, but whatever the reason, the road's black surface began harder and harder to follow. His boots seemed more and more heavy, as was his eyelids, but Toris tried to blink back and ignore these particularities.

_I have to keep going, don't I? _He sighed, his teeth chattering so loud they incorporated into his thoughts, _Obninsk is only… ten miles away. I can manage ten miles. I am a nation, and distances are shorter to me than a normal human…._

Lithuania grimaced when a patch of snow got kicked into his boots.

_Then why am I slowing so much? Does my body not want to cope?_

His right foot landed on a particularly slick part of the road, and sent Toris sprawling on the ground.

"Ughhh…" Lithuania groaned, feeling his mind tip with nausea. He lay there in the snow for a bit, his eyes closed and his body still as he felt snow begin to fall on him. He needed to get up. He knew he did, but while he was lying down, the snow felt like a comforting blanket….

"No, get up," Toris weakly commanded to himself aloud, not letting himself delve into unconsciousness when he reached this far.

_I can't die just yet. I have a purpose to live. I have through worse, haven't I? _

Deciding on that fact, Lithuania slowly used his hands to pull himself to his knees. His head swam, and he let out an audible whimper as his wound pounded like an oversized drum.

_Look Latvia, I'm your twin. _The Baltic thought bitterly as his whole body quivered as he tried to stand on his feet. He managed to straighten himself, not without another roaring headache, before he picked up his dropped suitcase and continued hiking down the path.

It wasn't long before the next sign for Obninsk popped up on the freeway road. Toris's eyes lazily scanned the words, finding that he was only five miles away from his goal, but his brain just felt… muddied. Like he was going to pitch forward again, but not with enough strength to get back on his feet.

_You are to get to Obninsk and wait for the police to get you there._

_ Why can't I just wait for them here? Why can't I give up?_

_ Because Estonia planned this all perfectly. _

_ How will my destination affect Latvia's safety?_

_ Estonia said…_

_ I can't… I can't go any further…_

_ Yes… You… Can…_

Lithuania's body swayed dangerously. The cold had completely froze out his sanity. The thought of sleep was so strong, it almost took affect.

_Why am I doing this… _

It seemed hard for Lithuania to pulled himself from the thought of rest. He just wanted to stop and lie down forever.

_Wouldn't that be nice… Russia will find me eventually… I don't need… I don't need to get to Obninsk…._

That time, the Baltic almost did fall into unconsciousness. But something caught his eye that prevented him from doing so. A sign, partially covered by snow, read:

_Obninsk— 1 mile_

It was almost too perfect to refuse. He had walked an absurd amount of miles, even for a nation, and now he was only _one mile. _The Lithuanian coughed and shivered, but he began picking up his pace.

_I can do this. _

It was a long one mile. Lithuania clung to the lights that became clearer in the inky-black night. They neared as Toris closed his distance between him and the visible town, and before he could show any more signs of collapsing, he had made it. But, something other than his physical injuries stopped Lithuania. There was a group of three Russian officers chatting just at the entrance.

Toris stopped short, eying the men cautiously. He knew they would question his entrance, which would lead to his identity and his inescapable capture. _Just as you planned, Eduard… _In an attempt to redeem his sickly appearance, the Baltic straightened his back and rose his chin, despite the discomfort in his body. Striding forward, Lithuania walked up the to the small entrance with a stoic expression and bold heart.

"Sir, we need your papers, _pozhaluysta__," _One of the officers demanded, holding out his open hand. The other two looked Toris up and down, taking in what type of character he was.

Lithuania swallowed thickly, knowing that however they were going to arrest him, it wasn't going to be pretty. Preparing himself for the worst, he began to open his mouth to speak when a loud and rather large car came squealing to a halt behind them. All four of them turned their attention to the filled up car. One of the men in the backseat of the car swung open the door, laughing heartily as he got out.

Toris's jaw dropped. It was _Denmark. _

"Wh-What are you doing here—" he sputtered, trying to get over his initial shock.

"Sorry officers! My friend here is Adrian, we accidently dropped him off in the wrong city. He left his papers with us so we were trying to find him!" Denmark barked with a grin, putting an arm over Lithuania's shoulder as if they had been best buddies all their life. Toris shrank a bit, clearly confused, but forced his face not to show his inner turmoil.

_This must be apart of the plan… It has to be… _

The policemen did not look amused by Denmark's outburst.

"We still need to see his papers," growled one of the men, who coincidently looked a lot like Russia. Toris shivered at the thought.

"Yeah, of course," Denmark piped, not letting go of Lithuania as he snatched a wad of papers that had been folded up in his coat pocket. Toris watched Andersen hand the illegal reports of "Adrian" to the man with Russia's white-blonde hair. He didn't dare to look at the Nordic beside him. If he did, he knew his face would give away his confusion and the policemen's suspicion would be confirmed. It wouldn't be just Lithuania's capture, but would include Denmark and whoever else was in the car. Toris uneasily scrutinized the Russian's face as he went through the briefing. Though he didn't seem too pleased with it, the officer spat a quick;

"Yeah, he is free to go."

The nation felt Denmark decompress slightly.

"Don't lose your papers again, sir," grunted the officer who hadn't spoke yet.

"O-Of course. S-sorry to bother you," the Baltic apologized, surprised that the men hadn't recognized him. _Maybe Russia's full orders haven't been set out yet? _

The blonde haired man gave Lithuania his fake papers back, and he received them with trembling fingers.

"Spasibo," Toris quietly thanked, not looking into the men's dark eyes.

"Let's go, _Adrian_," Denmark murmured as the officers drew their attention away from the two illegals, and towards their revised conversation.

Toris walked with Andersen with his mouth clamped shut. It took all of his will power not to ask him what in the _hell _was going on. _You can ask when you get in the car. _

"Right this way, Lithuania," Denmark urged quietly, showing him to the vehicle. It was filled with the four Nordics, five if you included Denmark. Sweden sat ridged next to Finland, who gave him a small wave and apologetic smile, while Norway and Iceland were in the front— Norway being the driver. Lithuania felt as if he had no choice but to hoist himself into the car, his ribs on fire as he did so. Denmark soon entered after him, squeezing in the seat to his right. With a slam of the door, Norway shifted into drive and they were off.

"Why are you here? Is this apart of the plan?" Lithuania asked hurriedly, finally in a position where he could pose questions, "Why aren't you saving my little brothers?"

"Yah, we couldn't leave you out there in the snow, Toris, you know that!" chirped Finland, who stuck his head past the wall of muscle that was Sweden, "Icy told us about your declaration of independence, and when Estonia gave us the go to, we obliged!"

"I told you not to call me that," Iceland muttered from the front.

Lithuania's eyebrows knitted furiously.

"So Eduard had put this in the plan…" he murmured, blocking out the pain his body was signaling to him, "Then why didn't Latvia tell me!"

"Maybe he didn't have enough time?" Norway offered unsteadily, who briefly glanced at Lithuania through the rearview mirror. Toris vaguely remembered how their conversation had been cut short. "Lithuania, you look terrible."

Toris chuckled darkly.

"Blunt as ever, Lukas."

"But seriously, Lithuania, are you alright? You look like someone pushed up down a hundred frozen stairs," Denmark pestered, trying to give more room for the Baltic to relax.

"I'm… okay. You guys real did help by having a car and some heat… I didn't think I could walk any farther from Moscow…." Toris sighed, relishing in said heat, "But— But my brothers, are they truly alright? Are you sure they are? I _am _being moved to a different location as a distraction, right?"

The whole car went quiet for a horrible moment, as if everyone didn't want to answer Lithuania's question. Worry brewed in the pit of Toris's stomach. There was something they weren't telling him…

Denmark's sharp laughter broke the unsettling silence, snapping Lithuania out of his thoughts.

"Sure you are, Lithuania! We are getting your brothers out in the mean time. I think America and some others are helping with that one…" he informed with a devilish smile, pulling the group out of their awkward demeanor, "You don't have to worry anymore, Toris, you are safe right now."

Toris laid his head back and closed his eyes. Maybe, just maybe, he was allowed to breathe for a moment. The plan was working, or it sounded like it did, and Lithuania was determined to make sure that his part would throw Russia for a loop. He would be strong in the face of Ivan… He would make sure of that.

"Mr. Russia will sure be surprised… huh…" Finland chuckled nervously.

"I don't think surprised is the word," Toris muttered, "More like furious. He is…"

He stopped as his vision suddenly blurred ten fold. Wincing, Toris put a hand up to his head, falling into its support. Everything began hurting, like the floodgates to his nervous system had just been released. His head, his throat, his ribs, his feet, his hands… Toris had an overwhelming urge to fall asleep.

"He is…" he mumbled once more but got silenced by a large coughing fit.

"Lithuania!"

"Hey man, are you alright?"

"I don't think h' is alright."

"Sweden, that's obvious!"

"Everyone stop _yelling _and help him!"

_I am so damn tired…. _Lithuania thought numbly before he slumped forward.

0o0o0o0o0o

White bliss had accompanied Lithuania in his unconsciousness. He couldn't feel any more pain in his lucid state, but worries plagued him like a sickness. And when the painless heaven ceased with the jolt of his body and his eyes slowly opening, Toris couldn't help but moan when his injuries resurfaced their way into his mind.

"He's waking up!" someone cried with excitement and a little too much noise for Toris's beating head.

Blinking back tears and light, Lithuania stared up from his laid down position in the car with a certain figure hanging over him.

"Tino…" he groaned when he recognized the shadow, his voice hoarse and ragged.

"Are you alright, Lithuania? You just passed out after we left Obninsk," Finland questioned with worry.

Toris's eyes scanned his surrounding. Something was wrong.

While his muscles blared in protest, Lithuania managed to pull himself into a sitting position, glancing around at the scenario before him.

"Hey now! Don't move so much, you are hurt!" Finland cried, exasperated.

Ignoring the Nordic's pleas, Toris took into notice that the car he was in was _not _the car he had originally entered and that they were _stopped _of all things.

"Why aren't we moving? Where are we…?" Lithuania drew out, pulling himself to the window.

Looking at a sign overhead, Toris noticed that the writing, though seemingly close to Russian, was not in fact Russian. The color drained from the Baltic's face as he slowly began to understand.

"_Why _in the _hell _are we in Ukraine?" Lithuania whispered, his tone deadly and dark. Even Finland flinched back from his aura that was on the defensive.

"W' are taking y' out of Russia," came the monotonous explanation from Sweden, who sat behind Lithuania with Denmark.

"_Sweden!" _snapped Norway.

Before the others could react, Toris darted from his seat, swinging open the car door, and escaping the confinement.

"Lithuania, wait!"

"You _lied _to me!" Toris spat, anger exploding in his brain, "Y-You _betrayed _me!"

It was Iceland who hopped out of the passenger seat in an attempt to calm Toris down, who was slowly backing away from the bunch.

"We didn't betray you, Toris," Iceland said evenly, put up his hands in a calming gesture, "We did what your brother's wanted."

Lithuania's heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces. Struggling to find the words, he instead sucked in angry breaths. Images of his brothers beaten, broken, _dead _at his feet filled the nations mind faster than he could process.

"Y-You left my brothers with… with that _monster!" _Toris screamed, his voice growing hoarse and wet with tears, "I— _I _can deal with an angry Russia. _They _certainly cannot! You should have told me, you should have saved them instead of me!"

The Baltic gasped when he realized that Latvia's confrontation, his exact words, had hinted at the trickery in Estonia's plan. Toris ran his hands through his hair in desperate awareness that he had _left _his brothers while _he _was escaping!

"Oh my God…" Lithuania whispered, frozen by the extremity of how utterly _stupid _he had been, "Oh my God."

"Lithuania, please listen to us!" Finland pleaded, alarmed at Toris's actions.

"No," the Lithuanian whispered, shaking his head as his voice grew louder, "No, I-I left them. I left them with _him. _Don't you understand? He is going to _kill _them!"

His voice had gone shrill with mild hysteria. His only family, the ones who had pulled him from depression and anguish and terrible times were with _Ivan! _How could he calm down, when his light and hope was fading so fast?

A hand was lightly placed on Lithuania's shoulder from behind, causing him to jump and whiz around to its owner. His eyes were wild with fright, anger, and betrayal. Before his eyes could catch a glimpse of the assailant, the person pulled him in for a hug, putting slight pressure so he couldn't escape their grasp.

Lithuania's breath hitched, adrenaline clouding his judgment before a silky voice lulled;

"It's alright, Lithuania, it's going to be alright."

Toris abruptly stopped his attempt of escape, recognizing the familiar sound.

"Miss U-Ukraine?" he whispered, his voice so soft it was probably only heard by her ears.

"I am here as your friend, as are the Nordics, not as your enemy," she promised pulling him back so she could see his face, "Nor should you call me 'Miss'."

Toris stared into her deep teal eyes feeling his anger soften.

"B-But I left Estonia and Latvia with your brother," he rattled, "I _have _to go back. You know how I-Ivan gets sometimes."

Ukraine gave a sad smile, brushing her fingertips across Lithuania's face.

"You care so much for others, you don't realize when other's are trying to return the favor," she said lightly, "Your brothers didn't lie to you, or cheat you, or do anything to hurt you. They love you, as much as you love and care for them, so they decided to help in a way that they have never been able to before."

Lithuania shut his eyes, feeling tears begin to pool.

"B-But I c-c-can't… I don't… I don't know what I would d-do with myself if a-anything happened to them," Toris spoke, his voice full of emotion.

"Toris, just imagine them in their situation. They have grown up, seeing you hurt for ages, and haven't had one say in what happens to you. They have seen the states that you wouldn't want anyone to see you in, and they have felt powerless and guilty beyond measure from seeing you suffer like that. Do you understand? They love you, Toris. They love you so much and they don't want to see you hurting anymore," Iyrna urged, brushing back tears that had wetted Toris's face, "You deserve your brothers' kindness for once. You give and give and give and never take, and they are finally repaying you for all of the things you have sacrificed for them."

Lithuania opened his eyes again feeling his outer wall of anger and hatred dissipate and crumble into open sorrow. He fell into her, his body feeling so weak from distress and disuse. A kiss was planted on his forehead, softening his crying that had previously escalated.

"Estonia called me along with many other countries barring these thoughts in mind. He wanted the best for you, for just once. If you turn around now, you are disregarding his will for you. If you go home, where _all_ three of the Baltics will feel strength, you will make history and bring hope for not just your brothers, but to me and the rest of the nations under the Soviet Union. Do not end Eduard's dream of you being independent."

Toris silenced his sobs and clenched his trembling jaw. He drew in a loud, angry, terrified, sad breath, before exhaling it deeply. Lifting his head from her shoulder, Lithuania swallowed and allowed himself a moment to compose himself.

"I… I just wanted them safe. I could do that from Russia's house, but here…. It is hard for me to think about what he is doing and the fact that I can't stop it. I-I shouldn't be crying, but I just _hate _that I can't control anything. The protection over Latvia and Estonia was the only authority I possessed in Russia's home, and now that is gone…" Lithuania whispered that last part, but his tears had stopped. He hardened his stare, his determination begin to shine through his blue-green eyes. "But I don't want to ruin the valuable gift that they have presented to me. Even if I don't agree."

Iyrna smiled, looking pleased with Toris's decision.

"I knew you would respect their choice. I know you are strong," she affirmed lightly, "But please, make it home safely and get some professional care for your wounds. They do look serious."

"I will. I know I need to take care of myself eventually… It is hard to get use to," Toris admitted, and then added a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry I cried on you like I did. I don't know why I couldn't control my emotions so suddenly."

"It's because you were worried, like usual," she added, "But do not worry anymore, your brothers know what they are doing. Estonia made up this elaborate scheme in the first place, anyway."

Lithuania nodded, still a little unwilling to accept the fact that everything was going to be all right.

"Spasybi," he thanked, squeezing her hand tightly, "Thank you and good luck on your own independence."

"Safe travels, Toris," Ukraine waved as he walked back to the bundle of silent Nordics. The five slowly got out of their staring trance and slowly shuffled back into the seven-man car.

Before he entered, Toris turned to Iyrna who smiled brightly at him as snow fell lightly around her.

"Would it be a burden if you could tell Belarus I send her my wishes of good luck?" Lithuania asked, a little timid at the mention of the knife-happy woman.

Ukraine nodded.

"It would be my pleasure."

"Please take care, Iyrna."

"Please take care of your people, Toris."

_I most definitely will, _Lithuania thought as he shut the door to the car, watching as Russia's sister disappeared in the graceful blanket of snow.

**Translations:**

**pozhaluysta: please (Russian)**

**Spasibo and Spasybi: Thank you (Russian and Ukrainian)**

**Names: ****(I'll just put all of them so you guys won't get confused)**

**Sweden: Berwald**

**Finland: Tino **

**Denmark: Andersen **

**Norway: Lukas**

**Iceland: Emil**

**Ukraine: Iyrna **

**Historical Notes:**

**Nordics: Many of the Nordics supported the decisions of Independence harbored by the Baltics. It really began with Iceland, and then the other began recognizing Lithuania as an independent country from Russia. America too! **

**Author's Note:**

**Forshadowed stuff: ** "The Soviet Union House went to sleep later that night— two unable to sleep, one creeping through nightmares, and one unaware of the secrets that would overflow when tomorrow would hit. Because tomorrow, the red snow would fall." (Chapter 17). **Lithuania was actually the one who was unaware of the secrets that would overflow, not Russia. Ivan, on the other hand, was having a really hard time sleeping. He seemed to know something was up. **

**Also: Estonia and Latvia had decided that they were going to get Lithuania out of there after the whole "lock Toris up" incident. They wanted to protect their bro, even if they got hurt in the process. **

**Rules on Independence: 1. Country must declare their independence. 2. They have to return to their home to make it official 3. Country in last possession of the independent state will have a verbal or written statement assuring that the country is now independent. This step may take a long time, and does not affect whether or not the country is recognized as independent. It just has to be done eventually 4. Country that had last possession of the independent state will lose something as they have lost a "piece of themselves". For example, Russia will lose power.**

**Rules on Travel: A nation goes half the distance/ 2X the speed of what is normally used. So if America was traveling from California to Virginia, it wouldn't take 5 hours of flying. Instead it would be 2 and 1/2. I wanted to incorporate this theory, because think about it. How is a country supposed to run itself if they have huge amounts of land like USA, China, or Russia? They would have to visit all their states and districts often to manage them, and how can they do that when they are usually driving or flying for hours? Plus, the World Conferences would be a _big _hassle if everyone came from their homeland at exact speed. It's just not probable. **

**Soundtrack: Same Love (Mackelmore piano (only) cover); Monster (Detektivbyrån); In Memoriam (The Oh Hello's); Dragon Pirates (Tut Tut Child dub step) **

**We still have to see how Lithuania's condition is going to fair and if Latvia and Estonia are going to get out of this mess! I will probably update within the week, and then I'm taking a short break since I'll be back in school**

**Tell me what you think! I love reviews, it really does make happy to see my inbox holds your guys opinions about my story. :) Thanks so much for reading! Love you all! Happy New Year if I don't update by then! **


	20. Chapter 20

**Latvia Latvia Latvia**

"Urgh!" Latvia groaned as he made his way up the steps. His hands were slick from blood and his unconscious brother seemed heavier than ever as he not-so-carefully dragged him. He knew he was pretty weak compared to the rest of the household, but there was no way that he was leaving Estonia downstairs in the pile of glass and blood with the knocked out Russia by his side.

Heaving, Ravis managed to push the dead weight onto the top step. He collapsed beside the older Baltic in exhaustion, breathing in the metallic air with disgust. As he wiped his forehead from sweat, he found that just spread the blood more. Luckily, most of the blood had not been from his brother. That had come from Russia, who had taken a direct hit from the knocked over cabinet. Ravis shivered as he recalled the brutal image that was still engraved in his mind. _He _had done that. _He _had caused that.

Tiredly, Latvia rolled his head to look at Estonia.

_But I did it to protect you. He was going to kill you, brother. _

Ravis shivered. If Russia _did _wake up, it was going to be the second most terrifying moment in his life. He just prayed he would be able to get Eduard safely inside their room before then. That definitely gave Latvia enough motivation to drag himself to his feet and attempt to slide his broken brother down the upstairs hallway.

When Latvia had reached their small room, he was drenched in a mixture of sweat, blood, and bits of glass that had hit him in the after spray. Grabbing the handle to the bedroom, Latvia twisted it and sighed in relief. _I made it… We made it… _Finally picking Eduard off the ground, (with much difficulty), the young Baltic awkwardly shouldered the comatose man and carried him to their triple bed. Estonia was dropped unceremoniously on the sheets before Latvia collapse on the floor, absolutely drained of energy.

It took a moment before he finally got up, picking out bits of glass from his reddened fingers as he did. He discarded his wet uniform jacket and aired out his undershirt, trying to rid him of the sickly blood smell. _What to do first? _He thought as he stared at his brother.

Estonia had taken some damage. Though the cabinet escapade was meant for Russia only, the spill of endless china and glass had affected his brother as well. He had many cuts and bits of glass lodged into his skin, though it was nothing like Russia. Ravis couldn't help but shudder at the ghastly state he had left the man in.

_Think of Eduard right now. _He quickly reminded himself.

Estonia had also taken a few hits directly from Russia, which caused his face to be bruised a bit. Latvia sincerely hoped it was Russia that had caused Estonia to fall into unconsciousness, not himself. One of the bigger of the marks was on Eduard's right arm, which was bleeding a little more than everywhere else.

_I need water. Lots of water and some medical supplies. _Ravis thought hurriedly, his eyebrows creased in worry, _I can get both from the bathroom…._

Giving his brother another look of jittery anticipation, the small nation whisked himself out of their room and into the hallway. The shadows seemed to grab at him as he passed Russia's room, where he had been not so long ago. Shivering, Latvia made his way into the restroom, keeping the door open in case Russia woke up.

_Water…. I need a bucket and some rags for that. _

Looking under the sink, Latvia found a pail with some rags already stowed away inside for cleaning. He pulled them out, setting the cloths to the side as he rinsed the bucket to make sure no left over chemicals were still inside. When he was satisfied, he began to fill it up, leaving the bucket in the sink.

He quickly flicked the faucet and heaved the heavy load before throwing the rags on his shoulder. Half waddling, half running, Latvia made his way back to their bedroom and set the pail beside his brother in exasperation. Wiping his forehead from sweat, Ravis castoff that duty and went rummaging through the Baltic's personal closet for the medical supply kit that they had in stock. Estonia was always prepared like that.

_Again… What to do first… _

Latvia looked over his brother. There were probably hidden injuries under his uniform, so the young teen decided the shirt would have to go. Quickly unbuttoning the green jacket, Ravis discarded the red mess before grimacing at the not-so white shirt.

Swallowing nervously, Latvia wetted the rag and dabbed it on Estonia's obvious injuries. How had it come to this? The tables had definitely turned a bit. _I'm taking care of you, brālis. I stopped Russia this time. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?_

Ravis felt a weird sense of pride as he realized he wasn't shaking, despite the fact that he was still in the house with that _maniac _and was currently treating his brother's intense wounds. A small, but pleased smile appeared. _Take that Russia. Who is the "little Latvia" now?_

He dabbed at his brother's face, taking away the blood and sweat that had lined Estonia's features. Though, he was still not waking up. That bothered Latvia a bit. Even though he felt smugly over his small win against Russia, Ravis had no say in what would happen when the man would wake up. After all, Russia could take a few bullets and still be on his feet. _Well… That isn't i-important anymore, r-right?_

"Get yourself together, Latvia," he snapped aloud, "You're stuttering in your own thoughts."

Latvia then removed any glass that had stuck into Eduard's skin and prepared ointment and bandages for the bigger cuts. When he got to the arm, he winced at the gnarly color and shape. Something had ripped on the upper part that looked deep and only treatable by a professional. _I'm no professional… But you're going to have to bear with me, Estonia… _

It was running with slick blood, so Ravis constantly had to keep pressure on it as he situated his materials. He didn't want to even _think _about stitching the wound closed. Ravis could do many things, but sewing _was not _one of them. Let alone on an alive _person._ Instead, he disinfected the wound and put a glob of healing ointment on the cut. He put extra wrapping on this one, making sure no more blood could be seen.

Latvia looked down at himself, grimacing when he saw he was a mess.

"Wait for a sec, Eduard," Ravis murmured to the unconscious body. Estonia gave him no response.

The nation washed himself up in the bathroom, ridding any blood from his body. _Maroon is a terrible color, _Ravis decided.

_I wonder if Lithuania has really been caught? If he did… Would this be a waste? The other nations st-still would be able to save us, right? _Latvia chewed on his lip in worry. He ran his fingers through his hair, upset to see it was tinted a bit red. They caught little knots and crusted blood, which made Ravis want to gag. The mirror reflected his tired but alert eyes. Latvia looked down. He hated seeing those purple eyes, since _he _had the same.

The one that defined terror. The nation who would gladly sacrifice much more to make sure the Soviet states couldn't leave.

_A lot has happened. If everything failed right now… I don't want to think how much more of blood w-will be spilt. _

The Baltic blinked a few times to rid his mind of gory and unpleasant images. It was time to step up and help Estonia. He turned to leave, making sure the bathroom door closed behind him.

_CREEEAAK._

Latvia had known of the squeaky step since his first years living in Russia's home. It was the second to last of the top steps. If you stepped anywhere near the center of the board, it would creak so bad it would wake up Russia. Ravis and his brothers had avoided that step as long as they could remember, in fear of disturbing the house's unavoidable silence. All but Russia, who didn't give a damn.

So that was why Ravis's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach in two seconds flat.

His light purple light flashed up at the mass of meat and glass that glared at him from the top of the staircase. Legs turning to jelly and mind completely numb, Latvia couldn't help but let out a tiny whimper.

Russia was heavily leaning on the staircase, still as cut up and maimed as Latvia had left him. But now he was actually _conscious. _And not happy.

_H-h-How is he up already?!_

The growl that ripped from the man's throat shattered Ravis's stunned mindset and set him in a run-for-your-life mode. And that was exactly what he did. Latvia sprinted to their shared room and slammed the door behind him. He had his back to the door, taking in heavy breaths as he thought about what in the _hell _he was going to do.

Russia wanted full control of the Baltics, so he had all of the door handles removed of their locks since the time they moved in with him. Which meant that the terrifying heap of death and destruction was right outside his door and _could enter at any time. _

Ravis quickly snapped out of his terrified state and searched around the room with his eyes.

_What to do what to do what do?! What do I do!?_

Latvia looked to the cabinet by the right hand wall.

_That. I can barricade us in. I-I can make my own lock. _

Racing over to the cabinet, Latvia grabbed the side, digging both his hands into the wood. He braced himself against the floor and took in a breath.

"One!"

Latvia squeezed his eyes shut.

"Two!"

He heaved himself back and then slammed into the cabinet.

"THREE!"

The cabinet groaned, screaming as it dragged across the floor. The drawers opened and shut as Latvia propelled the furniture forward, causing clothes and other things to topple out. The only working lamp tumbled off and broke with little reaction from Ravis. With the room encased in darkness and rays of moonlight, the cabinet stopped when it got to the front wall and wouldn't budge when the nation tried to push it any further.

"No!" Latvia spat, angry and panicked.

He turned to a different angle, back up and then charged at the heavy object.

_SLAM! _"Arugh!"

Ravis crumpled to the ground, cradling his hurt hand as he watched the cabinet tip and fall, just in front of the door. It wasn't close enough. Getting onto his knees, the Baltic frantically began pushing towards the door, his hand tingling in the process.

_"LATVIA."_

Ravis felt his skin prick with goose bumps. The sound of Russia's voice was so low and disturbing that Ravis could feel chills shock through him. _H-how? How had he got to the door so fast in that state? _

"Y-You're a demon, Russia!" Ravis screamed, feeling cold from his chilled sweat.

_BANG!_

Russia had begun pounding on the door.

Ravis let out a squeak, shoving back when the door moved.

"LITTLe LaTIvA," the voice cackled, "WHY Do YoU HiDE in THERE?"

_BANG!_

"S-s-stop!" Latvia yelled. The insane nature of the man oozed through the door and invested Ravis's mind in the dark.

"IS It BECaUSE YoU KNOW YoU'RE iN DeEP, DEeP TROUBLE?"

The little Baltic nation breathed heavily trying to calm his throbbing heart. _Don't let him get to your head, don't let him get to your head, don't let him get to—_

_ BANG! BANG!_

"Eep!" Latvia whimpered.

_This is the man who killed your people, who is utterly, utterly insane…._

"Please just stop, just stop, please, Russia, it's o-over—" he began pleading.

"_NO," _Russia interrupted, slamming against the door in an ominous _crunch_, "IT _ISN'T_ OVER. I STILL OWN YOU! YOU ARE STILL APART OF THE SOVIET UNION!"

Latvia's whole body rattled as Russia sent another pound to the door.

Latvia thought of both his brothers. Lithuania— who had gone through hell and back for him, and Estonia— who had fought against the monster who was currently outside their room. They had both been so, so strong.

_What am I? _Ravis thought, _I am weak. I know that. _

The little nation squeezed his eyes shut.

_BANG!_

_No. I am strong. I was strong when I sang for my freedom, I was strong when I protected Estonia's plan, I was strong when I knocked over the cabinet, I was strong when I fixed Eduard up._

Latvia felt courage resurface within him. With it, he remembered his people. The anger, the sadness, the bravery….

_Can I be strong just once more?_

_ BANG!_

Latvia's framed jolted as he withstood another powerful shock.

"YOU'RE W-WRONG MR. RUSSIA!" Ravis screamed back, "IT WAS OVER THE DAY YOU TOOK LITHUANIA!"

"_Govno!_" Russia cursed as another crunch of glass erupted.

"You— you aren't o-our leader if all y-you do is s-scare us into submission every chance you get," Latvia spat angrily, not able to control the emotion laced in his voice "You c-can't do that to nations, th-that isn't how it works—"

"YES IT _IS!" _Russia growled back, "You _listen _to me RIGHT now, little one, _I _am the one who keeps you alive, _I _am your superior, and _I—"_

_ Speak your mind in confidence, damn it! _

"_KLUSU!" _Latvia interjected, "Shut up! I am _not _'little one', you psycho! Leave me and my brothers alone!"

_I am done. I can't live with this craziness anymore, _the Baltic thought, _I am tired of being small and weak and trembling. I am tired of this house and Russia and being away from my real home. _

Ravis set his jaw and waited for another impact.

"_LAATVIA," _Russia hummed through the crack in the door. Ravis's body shook as the older man started to gain more ground than Latvia could manage.

"N-No!" he gritted out, his feet slipping on the wood beneath him, "No!"

_ BANG!_

Latvia flew back as Russia finally had broke his way through. Groaning, the little nation looked up at the hulking figure, which looked like he could be a demon from hell. Ravis felt his body quiver at the sight. Never in his life had he seen Russia so mad and insane.

_Stop shaking! _Latvia shouted at himself mentally. But he couldn't, it was already ingrained into him to shake at Russia's presence.

_I can't st-stop shaking, _Ravis thought bitterly, _But I c-can try to stop him._

So the Baltic tried picking himself up, spreading out his arms, and planting himself in front of his brother's body. He looked as if he were cross, protecting his last friend in Russia's home.

Russia heavily leaned, breathing raggedly as he did, but his aura was no less as intimidating. He let his head droop to the side, those strikingly purple eyes wide open and visible through his mess of hair and blood.

He let out a quick chuckle, beams of moonlight and strips of darkness crisscrossing his face as the man stumbled closer, which quickly melted into sickening glee.

"You look oh so tough Latvia," he cackled, bending over to grab the broken and jagged lamp, "I _truly _am scared."

"D-Don't get any closer," Ravis commanded, but his voice grew soft as the man laughed again, "I said d-don't get any cl-closer!"

"It _is _amusing that you are able stand like that," Russia chimed, raising the blunt weapon like an ax, "But will you be able to stand any longer?"

_He is going to kill me. Russia is going to kill me, and then he'll kill Estonia—_

"Ugh…." Came a moan from behind him.

"E-Estonia!" Latvia cried, glancing between his recovering brother and the madman.

_Please don't try to get up!_

The rustle of glass made Ravis turn full attention to Russia.

"Looks like Estonia wants to play also," he hummed, "You both need to be put it your place—"

"NO!" Ravis refused, "You are _not _hurting my brother! St-stay away!"

"L-Latvia?" came a croak from behind.

Ravis didn't dare take his eye off the looming man who looked even more entertained at the sight of Estonia.

"J-Just stay p-put, brālis, e-everything is g-going to be ok," Latvia whispered, his whole body trembling now, "D-Don't get u-up—"

The Baltic gasped when the lamp came hurtling by his face, nearly hitting him with it's jagged top. Before the boy could say anything in protest, the weapon was already being swung again.

"Wh-what is going on?" Eduard cried, "Russia stop— ack!"

Ravis could only guess Eduard was feeling the after effects of being beaten to a bloody pulp.

But Latvia could not focus on that right now.

Russia was having way too much fun hacking at the air around Latvia, almost tearing through the small boy like butter.

_Pārdīvot, pārdīvot, pārdīvot, pārdīvot!_

"Latvia!" Russia screamed in excitement as he brought it down again and again.

"ST-STOP!" came the strangled cry of Estonia.

Ravis dodged the fast blows, hearing the wind whirl as they were inches from his face. There was no time to slow down, and he began backing up and ducking so much, he had fallen into the back wall.

His breathing hitched. His eyes glanced from Russia, to his weapon, to Estonia, to the wall all in one moment.

_What do I do?!_

Latvia's eyes widened as the weapon and that deadly smile came crashing in on him. He dropped to the floor, his hands shooting up to his ears when a loud _riiiiiiipp _exploded above him. The lamp had demolished the piece of wall where his body had been, not two seconds ago.

"STOP! R-RUSSIA STOP YOU FUCKING MORON!" Latvia vaguely heard his brother scream.

Ravis stared up at the man with the same eyes as his. His beloved white scarf was the deepest of reds, much like the rest of his body. It was so unusual and bizarre to see the powerful nation without the perfect scarf. His soul was soiled if his scarf was soiled. And that was a scary thought.

But that wasn't what mattered. What mattered was that this man, this huge nation, was Latvia's reaper. It could kill him in an instant, or let him live.

And as the reaper, devoid of all life and sanity, raised his sickle, Ravis was sure there was no way this man of death was going to grant him life. Those heartless, sickly, pleading, unforgiving eyes stared into him and drown out all noise. He couldn't hear his brother screaming, nor could he hear the wind and sirens from outside. Latvia was left with just the thumping of his skull and those never ending purple stones.

_Are my eyes like that? _Ravis thought faintly, too scared to think anything else.

The bludgeon came down, almost in slow motion for the victim, who let out a dry scream as his death came closer and closer.

But before the weapon could hit, Latvia saw something he would never forget. Those insane, merciless, unending eyes grew dull. It was as if someone had filtered out the life that had previously shone through it. Ravis was too horrified to question it, but soon the weapon that had been set for his heart slipped from the man's grasp and fell into Latvia's lap like a discarded pillow. And then the man behind it all collapse with it.

Ravis was too stunned to do anything. He stared at the lifeless body that had crumpled before him, so confused and shocked. _I-I am alive? I-I didn't die? _

"RAVIS! VEND! RAVIS!"

It took a moment for Latvia to realize that his brother was yelling for him. Everything seemed to pick up on speed, and he finally comprehended _who _was slumped before him and _what _had just happened. Ravis scrambled to his feet, his mind now rushed with confusion and terror.

"Wh-wh-what happened?" Latvia whimpered, his eyes trained on Russia.

"Ravis, come here, right now," Estonia ordered, his face full of concern and mild pain.

"I-I-I don't understand, wh-why is Mr. R-Russia—!"

"C-Come here!"

Ravis scampered away from the scene, trying _desperately _to understand. Estonia was bedridden— he had only been able to prop himself up against the headboard, and even then he looked in pain. But, Latvia found himself curling up against his broken older brother, who gladly wrapped his arms around Ravis.

"Mu Jumal, Ravis I thought I was going to lose you," Eduard whispered.

Though he knew Estonia wanted some kind of response from him, Latvia could not take his eyes off the pile on their bedroom floor.

"Hey look at me," Estonia said quietly, still looking worried, "You are alright, we are going to be o-ok. You gotta—"

"Why did Russia… c-collapse?" Latvia interrupted.

Ravis became more confused as Estonia gave a small chuckle, wincing when his ribs complained.

"Lithuania made it. He's home."

**Translations**

**Govno: Shit (Russian)**

**KLUSU!: BE QUIET! (Latvian)**

**Pārdīvot: Survive (Latvian**

**Vend and Brālis: (Estonian and Latvian**

**Mu Jumal: My God (Estonian)**

**Historical stuff and tid bits:**

**The Barricades: I explained this last chapter, but basically the country of Latvia is awesome**

**Russian Reaper: I made Russia a reaper this chapter D: The sickle is supposed to relate to the classical grim reaper story, but I also wanted to tie it with the Soviet flag, which has a sickle to represent its workers. It's also supposed to be a little ironic that the reaper was the one to get taken down**

**Author's Note**

**Soundtrack: Symphonic Suite Devil 4th movement and Symphonic Suite Devil 3rd movement (Blue Exorcist soundtrack for that scary Russia vibe**

**4,000. Guys, we made it past 4,000 reads. You guys are all over the world- it's awesome. I can't believe how much good response I'm getting. I know this is the longest I've gone without updating, but I got super super sick, so I really didn't want to write. Sorry :P Hope every one's new year was awesome. Mine was 3**

**Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting or just letting me know anything you need! Love love love you all so much. Next chapter will be up within a weekish**

**Oh and this whole chapter turned into scripted, so it is unfortunately unedited! Sorry!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Love you guys. Thanks for over 4,500 reads! This is an unedited chapter, so I will go back and revise later. You guys deserve an update. THIS CHAPTER WAS WROTE IN SCRIPT AGAIN :( Sorry **

A worried expression crawled upon the man's face, and this man _never _was worried. He seemed to bottle all his emotions up, and play them off as if it were a joke, but inside, his stomach would churn in worry. The nation of Poland tapped his foot impatiently on the hospital floor, holding a small bouquet of red poppies. They drooped a bit, since Feliks had bought them _way _too early in his nervous fit to see his friend.

He had even dressed up for his old friend. He was wearing a pretty blue button up shirt, tucked into light brown pants. They were all soft and comfortable, which was good because he had waited in said clothes for hours in the hospital. His hair was straight, but he had managed to braid a bit of his left bangs and pull it back from his face with a pin.

_Later I can wear my favorite pink clothes, _he thought, _but now, I won't stress him out with my fabulous colors. _

Finally, fed up with himself and the world, Poland stalked over to the human nurse who looked like she was going to groan when she saw the man.

"Like, when are they going to take visitors? It's been over a few hours, I'm sure!" he whined, trying to keep himself composed, but failing miserably.

The woman was nice, she really was. She had brown hair tucked into a little bun and wore common nurse attire, and she had a seemingly pleasant aura. But after Feliks had asked her about a thousand times to see Toris, she looked like she was going to wring the man's neck.

"Sir, I told you, after he is stabilized you can see him," she grit out, planting a fake smile across her face.

"I know, lady, but I _need _to see him!" Poland complained. He either didn't care that the nurse was going to explode in frustration, or was just ignoring her.

Before Feliks could pull another temper tantrum, the phone that was situated on her desk rang. Poland eyed it, willing every one of his thoughts to scream _Please be him!_

She picked it up before Feliks could snatch it out of her grasp, and said a tired, "Hello?"

Poland waited in desperation, leaning over the counter to better hear what the other line had to say. The nurse, however, gave him a dirty look as she replied quick "Yes"s and "ok"s. The phone clicked off, and before Feliks could squeal out another _annoying _question on his friend's wellbeing, the nurse put up her hand and sighed a happy;

"He is awake, sir, you are able to visit him."

Poland's green eyes shone with a vivacity that hadn't been there in a _long _time. The nurse watched him in a muted shock as he jumped up and down excitedly, not helping the current condition of his flowers, and saying "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" in quick Polish before stumbling out of the waiting room.

"Room 6!" the nurse shouted out from behind.

"Thank you!" he repeated.

It took him a moment to realize he didn't even catch the woman's name.

_Oh well, I won't ever see her again, _Poland hummed in his mind. As the numbers of rooms ticked by, his light step started to slow to a haunted walk. Feliks swallowed and held the battered arrangement closer to his chest as a few ghastly thoughts crossed his mind.

_Will he still be mad at me? _Poland thought, not aware that he was sweating a bit, _I've given it time, haven't I? _

It had been a while since the two had actually seen each other. Sure, Feliks had heard Toris's shaky voice over the phone, but that was not enough. It was always hushed, afraid, or censored by the audience of a certain Russian. The last time he had seen his friend was…

_In a not so friendly time. _

His heart wrenched at the thought that he would have to confront these dreadful memories. He never wanted to. That's why they never mentioned anything about their past over the phone. Which also meant those severed bonds hadn't been fixed.

Poland stared at the 6 hanging above Lithuania's room in dismay.

_Come on, Poland, don't act so glum, _he chided, _Be peppy as usual. _

Smiling a semi-fake smile, Feliks opened the door with a quick motion. Light poured in from the window by Lithuania's bedside, hitting the floor and the walls around the two nations. Little specs of dust could be seen with the little to no motion in the room, creating a serene setting with only the faint beeping of a monitor disturbing the silence. Situated in a hospital bed was Lithuania, whose eyes were trained on the golden light spilled out from the window. Feliks almost didn't want to disturb the peaceful looking nation, who— despite multiple bandages and an IV protruding from his inner right arm— looked beautiful.

Poland straightened his body and kept his mind in a leisurely mindset.

_Be like you were before all of the crappy wars. _

"Hey, Liet," Feliks finally said, casually sauntering into the light.

Lithuania looked up, his eyes flashing in a quick display of fear. Poland immediately felt bad for disrupting him, but luckily those blue-green eyes settled when they realized whom the voice belonged to.

"Poland," Lithuania sighed in slight relief, but his body language suggested that he was being timid at all. He didn't look like a hurt puppy, begging for support like Feliks had expected. He looked like a war hero— strong and defiant, but still laced with the kindness that drew Feliks to him like a magnet.

Poland honestly didn't know how to accept this change.

Sure, he was a strong nation, and though Feliks didn't admit it, Toris had gotten him out of a lot of trouble in the past. He was strong in the face of others, when he was protecting someone else.

"You brought flowers," he added, a small smile on his face, "You beat them up pretty bad though."

Feliks blushed, looking down at the red poppies, who seemed to droop a little _too _much.

"It's not my fault," Feliks huffed, "You wouldn't wake up and so now they are dying. It's really your fault."

Poland snapped his mouth shut when he realized what he was saying. He had an almost immediate habit to blame everything on others.

_This isn't the time to do stuff like that, idiota. _

Fortunately, Toris didn't look angry at his snide comment, and just displayed that quiet smile of his.

"Of course," Lithuania whispered sadly, "I need to get well faster."

A lump in Poland's throat formed.

Poland snatched a chair from the opposite wall and dragged it to Toris's bedside, placing the slouching bouquet on the small table by the window. A few of the petals fluttered off, but they were still strikingly red and bold.

"How's independence treating yah?" Feliks tried.

Lithuania shrugged, like it wasn't some big deal. The flicker of worry grew again, and Poland could tell that the other nation was desperately trying to hide it.

"It's… not good yet," he said with hesitation.

"How come? You are away from that jerk, so is it, like, totally better?"

Toris shook his head a little, his eyes trained on the hands in his lap.

"My brothers are still with Russia, Feliks, I can't be happy just yet," he whispered softly.

"Ay, I didn't wait _hours _to see my mopey friend," Poland scoffed, stretching out in chair for comfort.

The mood between the two did not settle.

"I— I need to do something, you know? I'm just sitting here while they are…" Toris pursed his lips before he spoke his thoughts.

A short laugh caused Lithuania's eyes to harden and look up at Poland.

"You've been awake for, what, not even five minutes and you are moaning about not doing anything?"

"It's not like that, Feliks, I just wish I would've stopped Russia myself so we all could have left together…"

"But it wouldn't have worked out," he pointed out, earning a nasty look from Toris, "You know that. Russia is someone who needs to be dealt with over time, not rushed. It never would work."

"H-he _has _them though!" Liet argued, his voice shaking a bit. Feliks blinked in surprise when he could see the hatred in Lithuania's eyes.

Poland blew out a curt breath of air, unsatisfied with his friend's decision.

"You were always like this, Liet, you need to relax and get better."

"H-How can you _say that?_" Toris returned, "How d-do you know that they aren't… That they aren't…."

Feliks felt his heart constrict. He knew that he needed to be quiet, for Lithuania's sake. He knew his friend had just been released from that _jerk, _so how did Toris honestly think like this? Why wasn't he happy to be free— happy to see Poland? Did he not care enough to hug him, or say one loving thing to him?

Nothing? 

"Well, like, have you forgotten _I'm _here, Liet? Have you forgotten that you just freaking escape _Russia _of all people? Can't you show a shed of— of happiness?!" Poland snapped.

Feliks wanted to feel bad when those blue eyes shimmered with surprise for a moment, but then easily hardened. It bothered Poland that his friend displayed so much hate, hate that was directed at him. It should've bothered Feliks that harsh memories of the duos past came crashing through his mind, but he was already going full force.

"_I _do not need your approval of my happiness, Poland," Toris whispered sharply.

"No! You don't need my approval, but you should at least try it! It's depressing enough to have my friend locked away with some maniac, but it's like ten times worse when my friend comes home without an inch of joy!"

Lithuania scoffed, shaking his head agitatedly.

"What would you know about my feelings, Poland? Why do you think that just because some lousy years have—"

"_No!" _Poland interjected, getting up from his chair, "I do fricken know! We were married for years, Liet, I _know _how you think!"

"Oh yeah? Then please, go ahead and tell me. What are my feelings, Feliks?" Lithuania demanded sarcastically.

"You care too much about others. You get so… so _obsessed _with helping and caring for your 'brothers' that you lose sight of everything else. You try so hard that you hurt yourself and the others around you!" Poland shouted, ignoring the blur in eyes from the presence of tears.

Lithuania was fervently shaking his head, his expression soured as if he just ate something bad.

"How can you say something so selfish? So what if I care about others? It is called _love, _Feliks, it is a caring feeling that comes to me naturally! I _care _for others! I _love _others! Am I not supposed to feel that for others? Or are you just wanting it all to yourself!"

Heat flushed Feliks's face in embarrassment to such an accusation. _How c-could he…! _Poland pushed himself from the chair and paced about the room, like he was ranting to a child.

"I-I _am _not implying that! You hurt yourself because you watch over Estonia and Latvia so much. They aren't even your real brothers!"

Lithuania looked more taken aback than Poland had ever seen. His mouth was open wide, his thin eyebrows crinkled in confusion, and his eyes searching the bed sheets as if he couldn't stand to look at Feliks.

Poland's anger dimmed just a bit when he realized Lithuania was trying to get out of bed

"How _dare _you say that they aren't my brothers!" Toris whispered dangerously. He was already up, shaking a bit as he pulled his IV bag with him. Poland realized just how bandaged he was— his feet were bare except for the white cloth that slipped over them, his fingers, his chest, and parts of his arms. Feliks stopped pacing, wanting to shush him and set him down, but Toris was intent on proving his point.

"You… _You _say that they aren't my brothers, but they have been through _hell _and back with me and they fricken _got me out. _They've helped me more than you could ever do, Poland!"

The feeling of worry washed off Feliks's face, and he ran up to the wobbly Toris with a full intention of setting things right. It would've been an amusing sight— Poland angrily bickering with his wounded counterpart who was at least half a head taller than him, dressed in hospital garb— if it weren't for the dreaded seriousness that weighed the air down around them.

"I have been with you since the first centuries. I have been with you _for _centuries, Lithuania," Feliks reminded in a low tone, "What have your 'brothers' done for you? Cry with you while you get captured? You were hostages, not lovers! I knew you, Toris! I knew you for you! And I know a different side of you that they don't see! They use you for support, and it hurts you! And it hurts for me to see you like this."

"How dare you say they use me! They do _not _use me! I give my life for them, they are my family— I _love _them. I-I wish I could say the same for you!"

Poland felt his heart twist a bit. A glimpse of his memories with Toris flashed into Feliks's vision— back in the commonwealth days. Back when things were trivial and didn't affect their feelings as much. When Feliks actually _cared _about something, instead of blowing it off like he did for most other things or people. The first time he had longed for someone to stay by his side and expose him to his true feelings.

_What happened?_

"What? Don't tell me that— that after those years of marriage… you don't feel anything?" he whispered. His voice was taunt with apprehension.

"I moved on Poland. I've moved on," Toris quickly repeated, "Especially after you took my _heart." _

The image of happiness quickly dissipated like smoke.

Poland's gut wrung. He _knew _Lithuania would mention this. He _knew _it was bound to come up in conversation. With all their rushed and careful conversations on the phone, neither of the countries wanted to bring up such… _bad _memories. Poland didn't want to atone to that…

"Don't even think about bringing that up. You have no right to speak to me like that," Feliks defended.

"So what? Maybe we put up a façade over the phone, but now I can speak my mind! I'm independent, I'm _free— _I have a right to speak my mind," Toris declared, "Are you just going to censor me too?"

_What?!_

"I would not— I am not censoring you! What are you saying?!"

"Yes you are, Poland. You only want me to say what _you _want me to say. You are trying to cover everything I am saying with your half assed excuses. I have been meaning to speak these words for _years. _Maybe you do care that I got out of Russia's control, but you are no better than _Russia _when you want me back in _your _control! Like you _always did!" _

Toris coughed harshly, his voice cracking with emotion. Usually, Feliks would have cared, but…

_He is hurting my honor! _

"How can you say that?! I would never—" he tried to defend.

"You already did that, Feliks! Not even a hundred years ago, _jūs idotas! _I had just been freed from Russia. Do you know how hard that was for me?"

"Aw, don't talk about pain to me, Lithuania. I know pain way more than you!" Feliks scoffed.

"It is not a contest, Poland! I'm saying what you did hurt me! I was free! I could finally speak my mind! For years I had been shut up by Russia! I felt so empty inside, but who was there for me? Estonia and Latvia! Where were you, _Lenkija? _Oh that's right! You were there, back to take me under your wing like I was just another servant!_" _The Baltic snarled. He tried suppressing another jarring cough, but it was blatant to Poland.

"I didn't treat you like a servant!"

"Yes you did! All of you power hungry nations do. It's not a marriage… It's just a one-sided… game. It's a one-sided, controlling relationship," Toris shook his head, not meeting Feliks's eyes, "I didn't want that. I was finally free and free to do what my people asked of me. I didn't want anyone making decisions for me— or my people! Do you know how that feels?"

Poland squeezed his eyes shut, biting back anger that was almost released on his injured friend. Memories of being partitioned swirled through his mind like a deadly storm. He _so _wanted to lash out, but instead decided on a steely reply;

"You have _no _right to say that to me."

"Poland! If you just thought that taking my center, my _heart _would not _hurt, _then you are dead wrong. It did!"

Soon the biting memories swarmed his vision and left him with an anger that had been bottled up within him. Austria. Russia. Prussia. The constant moving and cursing and demanding….

Just thinking about it made Poland's head spin.

Feliks placed his hands on Toris's shoulders. The taller nation gave a little jolt when Poland touched him, but he quickly ignored it to get his point across.

"How dare you say I didn't know how you felt! Do you know how I felt? Where were _you_ when I was ripped to shreds by all the European powers!. West, East, South! It didn't matter where they were from! They didn't care— I was just torn apart… Partitioned off to everyone. Not once, twice, but three times! It hurt; I had to see all my Jews slaughtered in front of me by Germany. Do you know how that felt?"

"Yes! I did! I lost my citizens to anti-Semitic radicals too! Alright? I know how you feel! And it is not a contest of pain! Poland!"

"Ha, _you _are the one who is making a contest out of this, Lithuania," he sharply retorted.

"No, I'm not! _I am trying _to prove a point that I want to be myself and that I don't want help, and I want to have my people free. Ok? I want my brothers to be free— they have been under the wing of scary dictators for _such a long time!_"

It was Feliks's turn to shake his head.

"Do you know why I put you under my wing, Toris? Because you are not strong enough to fend by yourself!" he exclaimed darkly.

"HOW can you _say that?!" _Lithuania yelled, with his voice wavering a bit, "I helped you out _so _many times when we were younger! I am strong— my people are strong! Even though we are small, and smothered by many countries— we are still a very strong country in heart!"

Poland shook his head again and let go of Lithuania's shoulders, pushing him back a bit before turning away. _Strong? We aren't strong. We are on the side for the bigger nations to pick at._

He chuckled without humor.

"Haha… Then why are you so easily captured? Why are you so easily pulled into foreign affairs as if you want it!"

Poland _wanted _to care that Lithuania's eyes looked betrayed and glossy. He _wanted _to help Lithuania through this immensely tough time, and he _wanted _to comfort his friend. But the hate was too thick… Too strong to quit now.

"Because you didn't give me time to support myself! I had no time to regroup! I just out of that prison… that hellhole, Poland! Back then it was harsher! Laws were looser— serfdom was still alive and running! Now there are laws preventing that— these years have been better, there have been less slaughters! And luckily I've gotten my independence without me dying, or my people dying!"

Poland stayed silent, staring at window. The room didn't seem as colorful and crisp as before.

"I-Is that why you are _here, _Poland? To recapture m-me?!" Lithuania murmured softly.

Feliks turned before Toris could say anything more accusing.

"No! No! I would never do that—!" he faltered hastily.

"Taip, but you did! You did Poland!" the Baltic's voice died out, "You did…."

_How can I make it clear to him that I was trying to protect him! I truly didn't have the malicious intentions he implied…_

"I was doing what was _right_, Lithuania!" Poland countered, throwing his hands out for emphasis.

It was then that Toris leaned heavily to the side and hacked up a storm. He looked like he was in immense pain, and by the way his eyes died of light and his face paled, Feliks knew something was extremely wrong.

"H-Hey now! Liet!" Poland shouted worriedly, not sure whether or not he should do something, "Are you ok—?"

Lithuania groaned and started sliding to his knees. Startled, Feliks reached out to catch him. With nowhere else to go, the nation fell into Poland like a doll. _He is so light! _

"I-I'm fine," Toris winced out, trying to push against Feliks to get upright, "I j-just haven't recovered…. Yet…"

Lithuania slumped again into Poland's trembling arms.

"L-Lithuania!" he shouted frantically, with no response, "_Czy boli_?!"

The nation was silent besides a few, weak muffles of pain escaping his friend's lips.

Poland tried to support him, distressed that he had been arguing with him no longer than a minute ago. Feliks whipped his head around, trying to see if any nurse or doctor was present.

"Hey! Someone help!" he cried desperately, "_Proszę!_"

**Historical Note**

**Red Poppies: Poland's national flower. Very pretty :)**  
**Common wealth: Poland and Lithuania were married at a the beginning of the centuries. Hetalia actually goes over this, which is why I like the duo so much. They have a unique chemistry. **

**Heart= Vilnius. In the Polish-Lithuanian war (towards the end of WW1), Poland managed to capture Vilnius, which is Lithuania's capital. It was very jarring for the nation and its people, and there are still a lot of uneasy feelings still felt today. There is a lot of tensions between Poland and Lithuania still going on.**

**Partitioning: Poland was partitioned by Russia, Austria, and Prussia three times. 1772, 1793, 1795. THIS was a huge event for Poland. Not a good event in any way shape or form though**

**Jews: Lots of Jewish people lived in Poland and the Baltics, but more so in Poland. By WW2, you can imagine what happened…. **

**Translations:**  
**Idiota: Idiot (Polish)**  
**Taip: Yes **  
**Czy boli: Are you hurt?**  
**Proszę: Please**  
**jūs idotas= you idiot! (Lithuanian)**  
**Lenkija= Poland (Lithuanian)**

**Author's note:**

**Hey guys. Sorry for the wait again. Hectic, hectic weeks of torture ;_; I will still update I promise.**  
**Soundtrack: Home (Edward Sharpe); Innocence (Vienna Teng)- this song, guys go check it out. It's great, and there is an amazing Historical Hetalia that goes with it centered around Poland and Lithuania. Made me cry.**  
**Yes, Poland got his first chapter. Sorry if everyone sounded like an asshole. I need them to fight, because it is what it still going on. I've seen Polish and Lithuanian fighting in comment sections of Youtube, and it's quite sad that so many people dislike each other. On the other hand, a lot of people only wish for peace between the two nations. I, for one, would love if tensions ceased, but that's not up to me. **

**GUYS. I received so much amazing feed back, please keep it coming! It totally inspires me to write. Thanks. **

***This is the THIRD TIME Fanfiction has turned my chapter to unreadable script. It is very very frustrating to me, and probably just as frustrating to you. Sorry guys. ***


	22. Chapter 22

** Hey guys! Here's three POV's :)**

_Come on, pick up— pick it up! _Estonia muttered in his head.

The phone rang three times more before Eduard decided that no one was home. He had called Lithuania's home phone at least two times, with no success in the process. _Poland maybe…? _

He wasn't home either. _Where is everyone? _

Estonia finally decided to give Finland a call, since he was one of his clostest friends. He didn't know if Tino would pick up, since he had helped in the plan, but he would try until someone answered.

Eduard dialed the number, waiting a few rings with little patience.

"Hello?" a light voice finally answered.

"Finally! Someone answers," Estonia sighed in relief.

"Are you alright, Eduard? Everyone over here is worried about you and Ravis," Tino informed, sounding a little concerned himself, "Especially your brother."

Estonia let out a quick chuckle. Of course his brother was worried. He is _always _worried.

"I am fine, just a little knocked up. Is he alright? I couldn't get a hold of him or Poland…"

"He is in a hospital in his country right now. Us Nordics are going to visit him soon; we just couldn't see him right away because of his condition. I think Poland stayed there, but he must've have waited a while because the doctors wouldn't let anyone visit Toris just yet," Finland explained.

Eduard gut twisted.

"… He's that bad?"

"Well… I'm not for certain of his condition, since I didn't wait at the hospital, but from what I saw in our escape… He looks very, _very _drained of energy and he wouldn't inform us on what was wrong with him. I'm no doctor, but I know he is badly damaged."

Estonia grimaced.

"Could you give me the number to the hospital? So I can call them?"

"Uh, I don't really remember it… I don't even think we asked to be honest…."

Estonia sighed, rubbing his eyes. He was tired, maybe just as drained as Lithuania, and a little frustrated. He needed to hear his brother's voice. He also needed to escape, but it seemed more and more unlikely as the hours ticked by. Outside, the storm that had been mild was now in hyper drive. The whole house moaned as wind and snow pounded on it with no intention of letting up. General Winter didn't want anyone to leave, nor did he want any other countries in.

"It's ok, Tino… But if you get a hold of Poland or the hospital, can you please tell them to call me when they get a chance? I need to talk to my brother."

"Kyllä, of course!" Finland assured, "But— Eduard? How are you and Ravis going to get out? I mean… I know how Russia was after I left…."

Eduard bit his lip. _That _was a problem…

"Well, I am going to let this storm pass, or we are never going to reach the border. We haven't declared independence yet… So I still need that to get under way. Maybe… Maybe we can be free within the week…" Estonia said, unsure.

"Where is Russia, by the way? I don't hear any yelling right now. Did he leave in search of Lithuania?" Tino asked.

"No, no… Me and Ravis kind of took him down… haha…" Eduard chuckled nervously.

"You— You took _Russia _down? Mitä?!" Finland cried, "Is he still out?"

"I think so… Well, I hope so… We moved him into his room and he kind of broke down our door so I'm thinking we will either hang out in the bathroom when he awakens, or the guest room," Eduard spilled, "I don't really know what will happen when he regains consciousness…"

"You best be careful, Eduard," Tino said softly, "I care about your safety, and so do all us Nordics. But most of all, your brother. You are not allowed to get hurt, not until this storm passes, and then we can send a whole army to pick you up."

Estonia laughed.

"A _whole _army? I don't think war is my intention of becoming free."

Eduard laughed more when he heard a frustrated scoff on the other line.

"I can take Russia!" Tino exclaimed, exasperated, "Do you _not _remember the Winter War? Russia has no chance against, _this!" _

"Yes that was quite a thrill to watch," Estonia smiled, "You have no idea how humiliated he looked when he returned home."

"Ha! Of course he did!" Finland said smugly.

The two friends chuckled softly. Estonia felt an unfamiliar pull at his heart— the Nordics were just as close as family as his Baltic brothers. Sometimes Eduard thought he was more alike with his northern friends, no matter how much he loved Toris or Ravis. Still, it had been far too long since he had seen them. It was only when Latvia reappeared in Estonia's peripheral vision when Estonia finally stopped. Ravis looked concerned.

"I have to go… so will you let Lithuania know to call me?"

"Of course. Don't you dare get anymore hurt," Tino chided, "Take care!

"Ma teen seda," Estonia promised. The other line clicked off, and Eduard soon followed.

Eduard turned his attention towards his younger brother. Ravis still looked shaken up; his eyes fearful, his body splattered in an array of stained blood. Not that Estonia looked any different, but Latvia had been most disturbed by Russia's collapse. It was as if the young nation didn't believe that they had beaten him…. For now.

"Brālis?" Latvia said timidly, his body shaking and his eyes wide, "Th-there are police outside. S-Soviet police."

Estonia's heart dropped. _Police? Russia had sent police already? _The Baltics had had their fair share of Soviet Police in their lifetime. When they were shipped off to camps in Siberia…. It wasn't a lovely experience. Estonia began to worry about their situation. _Why do we have to deal with humans now? If they are here, we will never get to leave…._

"Do they look like they are going to be stationed outside or are they moving towards the house?" Eduard asked hurriedly, walking from the phone and to the front window. His brother trailed closely behind in a quick jog.

"They have been advancing to the house. I-I honestly don't think they are going to w-wait out in this cold though…" Latvia murmured.

"Russians know how to suffer," Estonia spat in disgust when he peered out the window, "They can be left outside."

"Brālis… Wh-What do we do if they come inside? What is going to happen when they see Russia?" Latvia asked worriedly.

The group of men was not far from the front gate, but it would take them time to get through the icy prison.

"We will… We will be willing to suffer also," Estonia breathed, "I know it sounds dangerous, but staying here is better than dying in the cold outside."

Latvia bit his lip, his right hand cradling his left arm in an attempt to soothe the injury he had with stained when he had fought with Russia. Eduard had a large urge to try to treat Latvia's arm, but he could tell it was fractured and/or broken. If he tried to heal it, Estonia would probably just make it worse.

"Sh-Should we hide? Should w-we wait by the door and just l-let ourselves be— be dealt with?" Ravis asked.

Estonia winced at the word 'dealt with'.

"I think… honestly, hiding will be pointless," Eduard sighed, "If they siege the house, they will find us eventually and Russia will be more furious. We should just wait… maybe make some tea."

"M-Make some tea?" Latvia repeated incredulously, "How can w-we do that when m-more of Russia's monsters come surging into the house? Shouldn't we fight back?"

"I know that they are humans, Ravis, but they are _Russian; _Russia's children of sorts. We can't go against them when we are so tired and hurt. Toris is freed, and we need to be next. To do so, we have to survive these people, and we won't if we try to throw more shelves at them," Estonia advised.

Latvia looked displeased, looking both angry at Estonia and fearful at the incoming police. Eduard knew this was hard for his young brother to understand, but he didn't want him hurt anymore. He didn't want anyone else hurt.

Shaking his head free of the police, Estonia turned on his heels and set out to the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Latvia cried.

"To make some tea."

0o0o0o0o0o

The world was a mesh of gray and white. It swirled and divided and couldn't stop shaking. Slowly, he could make out a table, and then a window, and then a mattress, and then his hands that were laid before his blurred eyes. He tried to move his fingers, but didn't succeed. Dissatisfied, he tried again until his hand gave a little jolt and his pointer finger twitched. Soon, he could open and close a fist.

There was a lot of pain coursing through his body. It started at the soles of his feet, up his body and into his muddied brain, which begged for sleep of some sort. But what hurt most was his heart. It beat irregularly, and hurt every few seconds as he tried to intake a breath. Something was missing. Something made his heart crumple into painful fits and made him unable to stand on his feet.

_Litva, _he thought suddenly. _Litva is gone. _

Russia swallowed, letting his saliva cool his dry throat as he tried to work his arms and legs. Slowly, the limbs obeyed and the nation found himself getting to his feet. His whole being was jarred with pain, but Russia knew that this pain was nothing compared to what he had been through. But that one thought made his insides stab.

_Lithuania is gone. _

As he regained awareness and his memories of what happened, Russia felt the familiar sense of urgency and anger flow through him like a dam had just been released. He swayed tediously, but his mind was too white with cooled rage to begin worrying about his health.

_I let him leave. I let my family deceive me. _

Russia stumbled to the door, the initial pain of his battered legs taking effect, before he composed himself and exited his room with his back straight, no trace of a limp, and his eyes hard with hate.

He walked through the empty hallway, passing the broken down door of the Baltic's room without even a glance. He strode to the top of the staircase, peering down at the front door, which was currently being pounded on from the outside. Russia didn't pause to watch Latvia enter and then quickly exit the front room, nor did he yell for the men outside to stop until he reached the door. Behind him, quick whispers danced between the Baltics before the door flung open.

"_Privet_, sir" the man in charge greeted gruffly, his face lined with ice and snow. He had five other men accompanying him who looked as tired and cold as he did. "You called for squad one's assistance at 17:37 yesterday evening with an intention of our first departure to recover Toris Laurinaitis, with a failed effect, and the assistance of our squad to defend or accompany you in your home. Is this order still valid?"

Russia's expression didn't change. He felt a quick surge of anger at the mention of Lithuania's escape, but didn't voice it and instead opened the door wider for the men to enter.

"Your assistance is still needed here. Please, come inside and sit by the fire."

The small army group entered, shaking off their snow-covered coats and wiping their frozen boots. Mittens were discarded, but some of the men preferred their _ushanka _hats to be kept on. The wounds and blood on Ivan's body did not go unnoticed, but the Russian's kept silent— either out of fear or to honor his physical state in silence. Russia kept his focus forward— towards the kitchen where the defiant Estonia and Latvia were waiting.

"This way," he ordered to the men, guiding them to the library where the large fireplace sat. It was not crackling as it usually would be in this time of morning, but then again, a lot of things would be different if it were a regular sunrise.

The men stood at attention until Russia told them to be at ease, and wait until the fire was prepared. The chorus of "Spasibo" murmured from the five soldiers, and Ivan nodded them away so he could deal with the duo in the kitchen.

When Russia entered, the two subordinates were crouched over the stove, but then backed away when they noticed Russia. Latvia's eyes were trained on the ground, his body trembling silently, while Estonia stared nervously at Ivan. The smallest Baltic jumped when Russia closed the kitchen door, and looked like he was trying to dissolve into the wall behind him.

Without giving them a chance to react, Russia glided over to the Estonia wordlessly and glowered down at the two nations.

"Sir, we—"

"Do not even try to test me, Estonia," Russia growled, shutting the Baltic up, "I am not going to take any more antics from you two while these men are here. You are to do as I say, when I say it or I will throw you into the basement to freeze to death. The officers have no problem giving you two a chance to taste a few bullets if you try and escape while I am gone."

Russia bore his eyes into Estonia's, who quickly faltered under the Soviet's gaze.

"G-Gone?" Latvia asked, his voice not over a whisper.

"Did I say you could speak?" Russia snapped. He too, shut his mouth.

"I will not allow anymore insolence in this house, nor will my men," Russia clarified, "Am I clear?"

_I can't have them think that it is so easy to escape here. I can't let the other Soviet states know Lithuania has fled. If they even catch a tiny bit of that freedom… _Russia clenched his hands …_Nationalism will spring out of their hearts and will never stop. _

"Am I _clear?" _he repeated, his voice deeper and bolder this time.

"Da, sir." The two murmured almost immediately.

Russia eyed them, taking in their words like wine being tasted, and gave a curt nod.

"You are to make a fire and feed this men. I want you in proper uniform. When I leave, their orders are as authorized as my own," Ivan watched Ravis duck his head lower, "Is that clear?"

"Da, sir." They echoed.

"Latvia, you will come with me to the fire. Estonia, I expect enough food to fill them."

Ivan grabbed Latvia's hand, and before either could protest, he began ushering the younger boy out of the closed kitchen.

He didn't notice Latvia's subtle squirming, nor did he watch the nation as he clumsily gathered wood and fed a fire as a few of soldiers jeered. His mind was elsewhere— so far in fact, it took a while for him to snap out of his trance.

_I am going to get Litva back. _He thought murderously. _I am going to get him back and show them that this is where they belong. _

0o0o0o0o

_Red walls. Red floors. Red windows. Red ceilings. Red, red, red, red._

_ There was red everywhere. And in the center of it was a man in a cream coat and white scarf. There was no red on him, but you could see it reflected in those huge, purple eyes. _

_ Red. _

_ There was red all around him, no where to escape. He was sinking— getting sucked up into the color, his whole body being swallowed up whole._

_ The last thing he saw was a flash of clean, white teeth in a cruel smile. _

_ He let out a scream._

"AHH!" Lithuania cried out, jumping from his spot on the bed. His heart was beating fast, his head swimming in panic as his eyes darted around the room for any sign of the color or for Russia.

The door burst open. Lithuania couldn't help but let out another squeal of panic.

"Lithuania! Are you alright!"

Toris found himself huddled in a ball, his arms shivering and his legs caught in the white sheets of the hospital bed. _It was just a dream, it was just a dream, it was just a dream….!_

"Liet! Like, are you alright?"

Something dropped to the ground and Toris could faintly feel the presence of his friend circle near him. It took a moment for Lithuania's breathing to calm down. _In and out, in and out… _He told himself, waiting for the hyperventilation to dissipate.

"I-I-I am alright," he finally breathed.

"Are you hurt? I can go get a doctor if you need one, you—" Poland began.

"No— No. I'm ok,"

"Are you sure? You don't sound fine, Liet."

"I don't want anyone here right now," Lithuania whispered harshly, then closed his mouth in case another surge of panic decided to run through him.

"Dobrze…" Poland sighed uncertainly, not believing Lithuania for one second.

Toris gave himself a moment before finally unraveling his arms and peaking out from the covers. Feliks was knelt by the bed, his eyes full of concern, clad in a pink sweater and black pants.

As soon as Poland was convinced that Lithuania was truly "alright", he sat in the same chair he had sat in yesterday— er… _I have lost track of time. _Toris thought, pushing back his bangs that had stuck to his face with sweat, _I need to get out of this hospital…_

"You are wearing pink today," Lithuania commented, breaking the silence.

Poland looked down at himself. He pulled at the pink clothing and gave Toris a smile.

"It seems that I am. Don't I just rock the color pink?"

Lithuania gave a small smile back, a little thrown off by the hue. But of course, he wouldn't voice this. He instead appreciated that his friend was still at the hospital, even if they had had a pretty heated argument before he passed out.

Toris's smile quickly turn into a frown. What had happened?

"Feliks, what happened when I passed out?" he asked, shifting inside the covers.

Poland leaned towards Lithuania, playing with a bracelet that hung on the man's wrist.

"You kinda collapsed without warning. And I, um, got the doctors for you before they ushered me out. I was sooo mad they didn't let me stay inside. I think you passed out from standing up… You are more hurt than you think."

"Oh."

"Yeah…"

Feliks nervously played with the beads on the bracelet, making Toris swallow. _He's anxious. I-I am anxious too. _

Toris looked down at his own hands. There were a few less bandages then before, and the IV was gone, but his cuts itched. Absentmindedly, Lithuania began scratching a few.

_I said some nasty things to him, didn't I. Things I shouldn't have. We should have waited longer to deal with those problems. I had finally seen him for the first time in years and I messed it up. _

"I'm sorry."

The two looked up, surprised out of their mind, when they realized they had apologized at the same exact moment. Lithuania's nervousness wore down and a small smile etched at his lips. Soon, Poland followed.

"I shouldn't have said those things… I don't know what I was thinking…" Feliks began, his voice strained and quiet, "I was just confused, you know? I finally get to see you, and BAM! The past comes back to haunt us."

"Yeah," Toris agreed.

_ Maybe, just maybe, we can gain that trust and friendship back from the better days. We could play chess or just sit in meadows, do trivial things that don't matter. _

"Let us move past that, for now at least," Toris said, "I honestly want to focus myself in getting ready to deal with R-Russia."

Poland's hand tightened at the mention of the nation. Lithuania watched curiously as his friend eyed him with a dangerously serious look.

"Let's send that _psubrat _a message he won't forget."

**Translations**

**Kyllä: Yes (Finnish)**

**Mitä: What (Finnish)**

**Ma teen seda: I will (Estonian)**

**Ushanka: those hats that Russians wear that are super comfortable and are usually fluffy. If I lived in a colder area, I would definitely buy myself one of those. **

**Dobrze: Alright (Polish)**

**Psubrat: Bastard (Polish)**

**History**

**Winter War: Finland vs. Russia in World War 2 (1939-1940) What is so remarkable about this war is that while Russia had almost 1,000,000 men, Finland only had about 320,000 fighting. So then you are immediately thinking, wow, Russia must've won in a heartbeat. That's the thing- they didn't. Russia lost around 320,000 men while Finland lost 70,000. Whoop whoop go Finland. XD And what's even better is that Finnish officers wouldn't have maps and would be trained to learn their territory solely on memory, so Russians just showed up and were like wtf where are we and the Finnish soldiers would cross country ski in and take them DOWN TOWN. **

**I love history**

**Things that affect my life:**

**An amazing person with the username Krasavitsa has reminded me that today is the anniversary of Lithuania's independence almost a century ago (February 16th, 1918) which is awesome. I am going to try and keep in track of these holidays as best I can. If the country that you are from has an awesome holiday, comment it because I would like to know who has the best holidays. In reference to that, happy belated Valentines Day! **

**(also read ****Krasavitsa's Baltic story! It is in progress and is really good so far!)**

**I taught my AP Euro teacher about the Winter War and had a strong debate against a classmate on how the Baltic countries have unique cultures and are not 'russian-veterans'. Yeah right. Little do they know I write about the Baltics all the time and know a semi-good amount of their history. I will spread as much knowledge of the Baltics as I can, when I get the chance XD **

**Also- I have edited my story up to chapter 10, so there should be no more spelling errors there. **

**I JUST FOUND OUT THAT I HAVE BEEN SPELLING RAVIS'S NAME WRONG. It's Raivis :( I've been writing 60,000 words of LIES. I will not change it in this story, however, since I am already used to spelling it as Ravis. Sorry, Latvia. ;_;**

**Soundtrack: Lost Boy (Ruth B) Really really good song. **

**Thanks everyone! Hopefully I will get the next chapter out soon! Love you all; every read, every comment, and every favorite! Happy Lithuanian day of Independence! **


	23. Chapter 23

**THE CHAPTER FINALLY WENT THROUGH I AM BEYOND HAPPY! Enjoy a more dramatic chapter from Lithuania. You guys deserve it. **

Lithuania was indeed nervous. He wrung his hands behind the tall podium in front of him. Sweat collected on the back of his neck, and he swallowed past a lump in his throat. Maybe it was just the stuffy room, or his shear nervousness. Although he imagined the horrifying smile of Russia in his mind, Toris's face had a calming look to it— he did not slouch, nor did his eyes waver. He imagined Poland briefly, who was situated back in his home country, and his two other brothers. Their faces did not make him tear up, but rather made him stronger as he looked out into the flashing cameras before him.

The night before had not been fun. He had stared blankly at the hotel's ceiling for hours, refusing to go to sleep because _he _had to be just around the corner. _He _would be waiting for Lithuania to settle down and get comfortable before swooping in. _He _would take him back.

Russia.

Toris resisted the urge to shudder.

He still had bandages on from his hospital experience, though his suit hid most of them. Besides that, his face looked a little less pale, and he definitely _felt _more rejuvenated than he ever had in the past week. The only thing Toris could complain about was the dull pain in his ribs, which only hurt with too much movement, but he never would voice it. It had taken a little coaxing and pleading from both him and Poland to convince the doctor to release him early. The doctor had almost immediately put them down, but Poland can be quite obnoxious if he doesn't get what he wants…

_Focus, idiotas._

Lithuanian words and phrases were flying at him, some pressing about the situation of the newly independent state, others interrogating about the Soviets who were still lurking in the shadows of Toris's mind. It was honestly overwhelming to be in front of so many people at once after being cooped up in Russia's home. Before he could speak, a man to his right, his trusted friend Jokūbas, silenced the crowd.

"Mr. Laurinaitis will not be taking any questions at the moment," he ordered into the crowd, hushing up some of the viewers. Some murmured between each other others just stared directly at the personified country.

Toris gave Jokūbas a thankful smile. His human companion had lived through much of the Soviet experience, though it had taken much of his life. It had been forty years since he had last seen the man, but he had been loyal to his home country the entire time. Seeing that he was still alive and well made Toris hopeful.

The Lithuanian leaned towards Toris uttering a small;

"You will do fine, sir."

Lithuania nodded, letting his words sink in before straightening himself and staring into the crowd. Though the humans had quieted significantly, their eyes itched for answers, the red light on their cameras ready to blink on.

A man situated behind the crowd held up five fingers, slowly ticking down to one. Suddenly, all of the red lights began to buzz and Toris knew it was _finally _his chance to speak.

"Hello everyone. Those in Lithuania, those of our descent in Russia— I have come to tell you that today I am free. My country is free," Lithuania began, his voice full and strong, not wavering the least bit. His people had been strong when the Baltic Way happened, and he too would resemble his country well, "The Soviet Union has had us in their grasp for too long and today, I want to publically announce that the state of Lithuania is no longer apart of USSR.

"I speak to all other satellite states of Russia, and urge them to do the same for their own independence. Our governments will change, our ways of life will change. It will be a hard path, but we must keep pushing forward. Autonomy— it must be claimed now. If we don't seize this moment, we will never.

"I would like to join to UN. If it is possible, I would like my brothers— Our neighbors, Estonia and Latvia, to be freed from the USSR's grasp, as well as our southern friends. I ask for the Western powers assistance and help if necessary.

"I am not an advocate of oppression or injustice. I am an advocate of freeing my people and helping those who want the same individual rights they deserve. To those who wish to stop my claim to independence— I want you to know that I am fully prepared to fight.

"However, I do not wish for violence if possible. Our departure should not aggravate you. We solely want back what is rightfully ours. Let us go— we are not needed in the Soviet Union anymore. It is not correct to call us this, for we are hardly united under these conditions."

Lithuania swallowed staring into the eyes of the reporters and cameramen who were broadcasting his statement over television, over the radio… It looked like Toris's few words had poured determination into them. Their eyes were eager and they looked ready for change.

"Independence for Lithuania, independence for the Baltics, and independence for anyone who claims they need it. I thank you, and—"

_CRASH! _

Toris's attention immediately drew away from the group of reporters and straight to the back the door. It opened suddenly, revealing an armed Lithuanian officer with a flustered and semi-frightened expression plastered on his face.

"_Rusai!" _was all he yelled.

It felt as if a fifty-pound brick fell into the pit of Toris's stomach. He faintly registered Jokūbas yelling for the cameras and recording devices to cease. But everything went over his head. Russians. Soviets— they were here. In _his _country.

_Russia is here, isn't he? Come to take me back._

Toris felt a tremor roll through him.

_I am— I-I cannot go back there. N-Not when my p-people have tasted freedom after s-so long. _

"Mr. Laurinaitis," repeated Jokūbas, shaking the country's arm a bit. Lithuania blinked back into reality, realizing that his friend had said his name a few times now.

"What? Taip?" Lithuania murmured, almost haze-like.

_Was this really happening?_

He stared at the Lithuanian, seeing the distress on his face. Finally, he received the frantic mutters and gasps that were coming from his team and the noises that grumbled from outside the TV tower.

"Sir, we must go," Jokūbas urged, " It isn't safe here!"

Lithuania jerked his head in a quick nod.

"Yes… Yes. We must leave," Toris reaffirmed, leaving his podium and walking to the group of men who were undoubtedly confused and a little terrified.

"Sir!" one cried out, "What are we going to do? Where are they? I can't—"

Just then, the glass windows that almost encased the entire room shattered.

"_GUNFIRE!" _someone screamed.

"Get down!" Toris yelled above the chaos.

Glass sprayed in all directions. There were whistling bullets that ricocheted on the metal beams supporting the building and cries from the outside area. Lithuania found himself being pulled under the observatory desks— the sounds of the projectiles within meters of his body. The rapid fire died out for a moment, giving the men only a second to breathe before another wave erupted around them. Toris slammed his hands over his ears, curling up beside the wooden frame that would no way protect him from this many bullets. There were so many flashes of light— so much disarray of yelling and screaming that it racked Lithuania's body like an earthquake. He finally closed his eyes— letting his hair fall forward like a curtain and waited desperately for the wave to end.

The incoherent yelling— both in Lithuanian and Russian— seemed to tower over the gunfire, and it was as if Toris could feel each scream in his soul.

_I am in my very heart— Vilnius— my capital. _Lithuania thought, _And you decide to attack here? How heartless can you be? _

The sounds died out for a moment, and for the longest of seconds— there was no noise but the guttural rumble from outside.

Toris's eyes flashed open in horror and recognition.

_T-Tanks?!_

Flashes of World War II blinded Toris for a moment, and he had to physically shake himself to forget the atrocities.

He couldn't fathom why Russia had resorted to _tanks _of all things! This entire event was supposed to be a peaceful, nationalistic broadcast— not another Bloody Sunday! They didn't even have a suitable military located here besides the precautionary guards for their securities sake.

"Is— Is everyone alright?" Lithuania called out into the hidden crowd. He had no idea where everyone was— the original guard, Jokūbas, and a younger man were huddled behind the same table as he was, but there had to be at least ten other people who were enveloped in the destroyed room.

"_Ne!_" someone croaked, "Simonas has been shot!"

Toris unraveled himself from his protective ball, wincing when his ribs protested against the movement, and searched the rubble with his eyes to find where the cries were coming from. He didn't know who was speaking, or who Simonas was, but his heart ached at the thought of a death on his hands.

Panicked mutters echoed around the room. Toris swallowed, taking in the situation. _He _had to be the leader. _He _had to be the strong one here.

If he couldn't, what kind of country would he be?

"We will get medical help soon," Lithuania promised, his voice cracking a bit, "_Prašom_, stay low! Do not get up until we are sure it is safe!"

Someone screamed when another surge of metallic gunfire encased the room in deafening sound.

"Stay down!" Lithuania yelled, but he had a feeling no one could here him over the terror.

_This is terrorism. Russia is invading my home. Russia is hurting my people! _Toris thought, both angry and terrified.

The noises ceased after a few moments, and Lithuania decided this was the time to leave.

"Everyone! Please head to the main hallway so we can get further away from the windows! Help any who are injured and move _now!"_

Toris pushed himself from his hiding place, giving the three other men next to him a hurrying gesture until they accompanied him. The nation turned quickly checking to see if the Russians had already began attacking.

_We won't be safe for long. _

_ "_Sir!" someone cried, and Toris hurried after them.

Towards the door, Lithuania glanced down to an overturned table, which was hiding four other men— including the injured Simonas. The reporters were trying to help the shot man to his feet, which was looking unsuccessful. Lithuania held in a small gasp as he finally found the location of the bullet— lodged in the man side. An abundance of maroon blood seeped through his button-up shirt, and it looked as if one of the men had removed their jacket and pressed against his wound to stop the bleeding. As he looked up at Lithuania, his eyes were glossy. _He is losing too much blood…_

Lithuania extended his hand, helping the men retrieve their friend before more casualties could occur. Slowly, Simonas got to his feet, his cringes making Toris cringe, before they left the destroyed room and into the main hallway.

Assessing the situation quickly, Toris found that he was in the presence of 9 others— one Simonas, one Jacobas, one the guard, and the others just as frightened.

"Sir!" a man to Toris's right exclaimed, "What are we to do now? Where are we going to find medical supplies and professional help?"

Lithuania's eyes glossed over the next few rooms, some untouched, others lightly scathed with tears in the ceiling and walls. Finally, they came across a section of rooms that weren't accessible from the windows and was yet to encounter Russia's gunfire.

"Here," Toris breathed, "We can station Simonas here and treat him. I need to resolve this situation before anyone else can get hurt."

_I need to show Russia he cannot tread all over my people like dirt. _Lithuania thought, disgust rising in his stomach. _I-If he thinks he can get away with hurting them without consequences, he is dead wrong. _

"But, we don't have doctors here! And the Russians will surely take over these rooms too!" the man argued.

Toris shook his head.

"I will not let them breach the tower. They were shooting from the outside, no?," the man nodded, still not convinced, so Lithuania pushed harder, "And you—" he continued, turning to the guard, "Did you spot any Russians inside the tower?"

"Ne sir, I was just surprised by their military waiting outside for us like we belonged to them," the guard muttered.

Anger seemed to reside with the group towards the Russians. Lithuania didn't like that they were solely counting on anger to get through the situation, so he quickly thought of a way to push them forward.

"So we have so far concluded that they aren't in the building, but in fact have surrounded it?" Toris confirmed.

The group gave a few nods.

"But what about Simonas! And the others who were surely shot in the nearby rooms!"

Lithuania looked down at the man, who was indeed bleeding out. The blood was a shocking site to see, and Toris could feel bile rising into his throat.

_What if Russia was willing to do this to your brothers… What if he wanted to hurt them to hurt you…_

Toris swallowed the sickly taste. _I need to focus on the current conditions. I can worry about them in a moment. _

"You are stationed here, _taip_?" Lithuania directed towards the guard, "Do you know where a first aid kit is?"

"Taip, sir. I'll retrieve it right away."

Lithuania nodded in approval. Before the man could slip from the room, Toris bid a "Stay safe,". He prayed that he would get to see the man again. Again, his stomach churned unpleasantly as he realized he had not gotten the man's name.

_If he dies, I won't even be able to honor him for his sacrifice…._

Toris dropped to his knees, pulling himself over to the wounded Lithuanian. It looked pretty serious, but being a country for so long had helped him learn a trick or two about removing bullets and cleaning wounds.

"I will try to treat him," Toris explained, when he was greeted by a handful of confused looks, "Please help me if necessary. And someone stand guard."

"Taip, sir," they echoed.

The youngest man there, blonde with emerald eyes, offered himself quickly and stationed himself by the door.

"Wait! Young man, what is your name?" Lithuania asked. He made eye contact with the citizen who seemed weary, with good reason to be.

"Peter," he answered, his voice light, "Peter Skriuli."

Toris nodded to him, giving a reassuring smile.

"Ačiū," he quickly thanked, and then turned to the rest of the men, "Please, grant me your names. I need to know who I am thanking for their courage and support today."

The men looked at each other, maybe too wary about Lithuania's reasons to learn their names. Finally, when one answered, they all did.

"Michael Kirliēt."

"Andrei Hertius."

"Patrik Versaie."

"Herni Jezre."

"Filip Uzate."

"Danielius Trenot."

Lithuania looked over all of them, as if he were absorbing their faces and memorizing them as they stated their names. _I will remember them, _he thought, _until the day I cease to exist. _

"Thank you," Lithuania said softly, "You are brave men."

The man who couldn't speak his name groaned in pain. Immediately, Toris pulled his attention towards him. Quickly tying his hair up into a ponytail, Lithuania slowly peeled the garments away from the man's wound, wincing at the sight. The injury looked deep enough to be very serious, and Toris grimaced when he realized he could not retrieve the bullet. Simonas would surely bleed out if he even attempted removing the shrapnel.

The door behind them opened, revealing the guard who had left earlier. Relief washed over Toris when he saw the medical kit in the guard's hands. As soon as he received the small box, he got to work. The bullet would have to stay lodged inside Simonas if he didn't want the young man to die. Later, he would make sure that the Lithuanian would get urgent medical care, but Lithuania had Russians to deal with at the moment.

One man, Henri, bent over to help him, placing his hands and the cloth over Simonas's wounds as Toris began rolling over the hole with gauze and bandages. Soon, both their hands were slick with blood, but it didn't seem to deter either man. The blood leaked through the first wrappings, but slowed and then stopped by the third.

"Sir!" the man on guard duty, Patrik, cried out, "I hear a commotion outside!"

Lithuania furrowed his eyebrows. The hurt man looked slightly less pale, but the loss of blood might of thrown him into shock. _I want to stay and help, but my place is outside— to settle this with Russia. _

"Taip… Taip, I will go and resolve the conflict. Someone please find a blanket or a jacket to warm this man up!" Toris ordered, slowly getting to his feet.

"Ačiū, everyone," he thanked for the hundredth time, looking at all of their faces with assurance, "Please stay safe."

Lithuania turned on his heels and exited the safe haven.

"Wait! Mr. Laurinaitis!" someone called out from behind him, "Please let me come with you."

Toris saw Jacobas striding towards him and another man, Filip.

"Me too, sir. You are saving our lives. The least I can do is help you," the other man said.

Toris was about to refuse, but he could see that the two were not going to take 'no' for an answer.

"I know you have been dealing with Russia by yourself for a long time now, but this time, please let your people help you. We will be by your side until the end," Jacobas conveyed.

Slowly, Toris gave them a nod and a soft smile.

"Yes, it would give me strength if you came," he agreed, "But please, call me Toris."

Filip grinned and Jacobas mirrored his light smile.

"Let us get a move on then."

Indeed, there was a loud commotion coming from outside the tower. As soon as they reached the window, they saw why. Just beyond the gates were floods of people— everyone yelling, shouting at the Russian's who had stationed themselves around the TV tower.

They were Lithuanian citizens.

_My citizens._

Toris kept jogging down the passageway as he stared out the window in horror.

The tanks were trying to get through. The Russian tanks moved without signs of stopping as they neared the crowd. Some people scattered, but a majority stayed planted where they were— creating a human shield.

_No. _Lithuania thought in despair. He knew Russia would not stop there. He would charge through like a mad bull, not caring who he hurt in the process. _Don't. Please, please don't!_

"Toris! They are going to—"

Lithuania's eyes widened in complete dread and shock as the soldiers, against an unarmed crowd, began to fire. Men and women, who had stood up for _him, _Lithuania, were being massacred.

"_NO!" _

The guttural cry was silenced by screaming people. Lithuania took his eyes off the scene, his stomach heaving like he was going to puke. He focused on the stairs before him, which he ran down— skipping three steps at a time.

He faintly heard his name being screamed by the men who had accompanied him, but Toris's mind was too distant.

_My people! My loving, caring people! How could he! How could this— how could he do something like this! _

Toris found himself at the bottom of the steps, bursting through the front door with so much force that he nearly tripped into the battleground. The metallic smell of blood filled the air and a brown haze dispersed through the front lawn as people screamed in both panic and pain.

_No. No this can't be happening. _

He ran, possibly straight into the line of fire, feeling anguish spread through him as Lithuanians rushed in all directions— little explosions of orange light telling Toris that the firing squad had not ceased.

_R-Russia did this. R-Russia hurt my people. _

The dust cleared a bit as Lithuania stumbled over rubble. He could now clearly see the destruction caused by the men clad in their tan uniforms. The tanks— still approaching the tower with no signs of stopping— rolled past people like they were just pieces of trash in the way.

Anger filled Lithuania's soul, his whole body shaking as he scrambled to be seen on the pile of debris. Finally, the gunfire stopped, but the shouting of people rose as the tanks proceeded. Men scurried past Toris, trying to seek refuge away from the Russian military, some shouting at Toris to leave.

The image that was left behind for Lithuania to witness was disturbing. Russia's troops had made their way through their grounds as if were the easiest feat in the world, and then had left a wake of destruction. There was a substancial amount of people on the ground, too hurt to get to their own feet.

_I can't forgive him for this! Th-this is unacceptable!_

Toris's eyes finally settled on the middle tank, looking much more grand than the others, which was the only tank to stop in the presence of Lithuania.

_CRACK!_

The top-most hatch of the tank popped open. A body pulled itself from its depths and hoisted itself onto the upper part of the vehicle.

Toris had to clench his fists into balls to keep from screaming.

The pearly white, insane smile that reflected in the haze told Lithuania who the bastard was.

"Russia," Lithuania spat through gritted teeth.

The man bowed a little, holding a hand up to an officer who looked ready to shoot Toris.

"Litva," he cackled, "It is time we end this."

**Translations (Everything is in Lithuanian)**

**Idiotas: Idiot **

**Rusai: Russians **

**_Prašom: Please _**

**Ačiū: Thank You**

**Taip: yes**

**Ne: No**

**History:**

**Vilnius TV Tower attack (aka the January events): This is one of the most terrifying and shocking part of Lithuanian independence in my eyes. It exhibits that the Lithuanian people were strong and nonviolent, until Russia interfered with their affairs. Between the dates of January 11 to the 13th, multiple violent actions were exchanged between the two countries. On January 11th, Soviets surrounded multiple Lithuanian government buildings including multiple National Defense Departments and the Press House, while firing into the crowds of people. **

** On January 12th, Lithuanian citizens began to circle major buildings (including the TV Tower) and minor to major violence occurs through minimal attacks. **

** On January 13th, Soviet tanks fire into the windows of the TV Tower, causing harm/deafness to the protesters. Tanks rolled right through the crowd and officers shot through like it was nothing- killing 14 people in all. The last part of January 13th will be discussed in the next chapter.**

** I watched a very inspirational/terrifying video on the broadcast of what happened that day. This event is so shocking and it hurts me to see this happen all over the world. I wish people would accept peaceful protest and not cause injury to those fighting for their country in innocence. **

**Authors Note: **

**Celebrations: Estonia's independence day passed a little while ago, which was February 23, 1918 and then again in 1920. Lithuania's independence day was Wednesday, March 11, 1990, and NO I DID NOT FORGET. My plan for this chapter was to get it posted on Wednesday so I could wish you all a happy independence day but MicroSoft Word was being stupid AND DELETED THIS WHOLE CHAPTER. Mind that this chapter was about 3,000 words longer than it is now, which is why I am splitting it into two parts. Sorry guys :(**

*****August update*****

**GUYS I AM SO SO SO SORRY. I have constantly emailed the support crew (about five times now!) and never got an answer to why my chapters aren't posting. When this chapter finally uploaded I was beyond happy. It has taken me around 6 months to fix this problem and I know for my readers, the hiatus was not fun to endure either. **

**Thank you so so sososososososo much! I can't believe how awesome you guys are. You have put up with my constant disappearances again and again, but trust me I am trying. I will finish this book no matter what :) **


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